Franklin Templeton has doubled down on crypto with the acquisition of asset manager 250 Digital and the launch of a dedicated division, Franklin Crypto — a move that brings fresh active-crypto strategies and experienced talent into one of the world’s largest asset managers.
Key points
- Franklin Templeton, which manages $1.78 trillion in assets globally, has completed its purchase of 250 Digital. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal was first announced in April.
- The acquisition folds 250 Digital’s investment team and strategies into Franklin Templeton’s existing digital-asset capabilities under the newly created Franklin Crypto unit.
- Former 250 Digital executives Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns will co-lead the unit alongside Franklin Templeton digital-assets executive Tony Pecore.
- The transaction follows 250 Digital’s earlier buildout after CoinFund spun out its liquid strategies business into the firm as CoinFund refocused on venture investing.
What this means for institutional investors
Franklin Templeton says institutional clients will be able to access actively managed cryptocurrency strategies backed by the former 250 Digital team and the asset manager’s global distribution network. The acquisition strengthens Franklin Templeton’s institutional crypto offering while expanding the range of tokenized and on-chain products available through its platform.
Ongoing product and partnership push
The purchase comes amid a fast-paced rollout of crypto and tokenization initiatives across Franklin Templeton’s business:
- Integration of the BENJI tokenized money market fund with MoonPay Trade, enabling institutional clients to swap stablecoins (USDC, USDT) for BENJI via MoonPay’s on-chain trading rails.
- A filing to launch two exchange-traded funds that would automatically route stock dividend income into Bitcoin-linked investments.
- A February partnership with Binance allowing institutions to use tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for crypto trading while keeping regulated custody of the underlying assets.
- A collaboration with Ondo Finance to make tokenized ETFs available on blockchain networks, broadening distribution beyond traditional brokerages.
Tokenization momentum
Franklin Templeton’s tokenized assets have surged from roughly $768 million in June 2025 to more than $2.5 billion today — more than tripling over the past year, according to RWA.xyz. The industry-wide market for on-chain real-world assets has also accelerated, rising from about $11.8 billion a year ago to $32.2 billion, underscoring growing institutional adoption of tokenized financial products.
Why it matters
The deal consolidates Franklin Templeton’s existing digital-asset research, portfolio construction and institutional risk-management capabilities with an experienced crypto investment team. Operating in more than 35 countries, the firm is positioning Franklin Crypto to serve institutional demand for regulated, actively managed crypto exposure as tokenized products and on-chain distribution continue to scale.
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