Key Highlights
- The acquisition of 250 Digital, a cryptocurrency firm that emerged from CoinFund at the beginning of 2026, has been finalized by Franklin Templeton
- Franklin Crypto, a newly established division headed by Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns, emerged from this transaction
- BENJI tokens, representing tokenized shares from Franklin Templeton’s U.S. Government Money Fund, were utilized as partial payment
- Over the last twelve months, Franklin Templeton’s tokenized holdings have surged from $768 million to exceed $2.5 billion
- The new unit will focus on serving pension funds, sovereign wealth entities, and major institutional capital allocators
The completion of Franklin Templeton’s 250 Digital acquisition signals the creation of Franklin Crypto, representing one of the most definitive institutional cryptocurrency commitments from a traditional asset management powerhouse to date.
Originally announced in April 2026, the transaction involved 250 Digital, which was established in early 2026 when CoinFund spun off its liquid cryptocurrency investment operations to concentrate exclusively on venture capital activities.
Leadership of Franklin Crypto falls to Christopher Perkins, previously at the helm of 250 Digital. Seth Ginns maintains his role as chief investment officer in the newly formed division. Both executives accumulated extensive experience at CoinFund prior to the spinoff.
While Franklin Templeton has not revealed complete financial details of the acquisition, a noteworthy aspect involves partial payment through BENJI tokens—the blockchain-based version of its Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund.
This transaction represents a groundbreaking development as one of the earliest significant mergers and acquisitions within financial services to incorporate tokenized fund shares as consideration instead of conventional cash or securities.
Franklin Crypto’s Strategic Focus
Targeting institutional market participants such as pension systems, sovereign wealth vehicles, and substantial asset allocators, the newly formed division will deliver actively managed cryptocurrency investment approaches spanning liquid digital token markets, venture capital opportunities, and structured financial products connected to blockchain technology.
Franklin Templeton emphasized that the division merges the investment expertise from the previous 250 Digital team with the company’s extensive global distribution capabilities, reaching over 35 countries worldwide.
The firm currently oversees approximately $1.78 trillion in total assets under management.
Expanding Digital Asset Presence
Franklin Crypto represents the most recent milestone in the firm’s comprehensive digital asset expansion strategy. During February, Franklin Templeton established a collaboration with Binance enabling institutional participants to leverage tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for cryptocurrency transactions.
A March partnership with Ondo Finance facilitated the availability of tokenized ETFs across blockchain platforms.
Just last week, the company filed proposals for two ETFs designed to redirect stock dividend proceeds into Bitcoin-connected investments, establishing a hybrid financial product bridging traditional equities and digital currencies.
Data from RWA.xyz indicates Franklin Templeton’s tokenized asset portfolio has expanded from approximately $768 million in June 2025 to surpass $2.5 billion currently.
The overall tokenized asset marketplace has experienced parallel growth, climbing from roughly $11.8 billion to $32.2 billion during the same timeframe.
Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson has publicly commented that blockchain technology creates competitive pressure on traditional Wall Street fee models. The firm submitted Bitcoin ETF applications years ahead of widespread institutional adoption.
Through the 250 Digital acquisition, Franklin Templeton now possesses a specialized cryptocurrency leadership structure and independent investment operations, moving beyond merely incorporating digital assets into existing fund offerings.
