TLDR
- Franklin Templeton has finalized the purchase of 250 Digital, a cryptocurrency company that emerged from CoinFund at the beginning of 2026
- A new business unit named Franklin Crypto was established through the transaction, with Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns in leadership roles
- The purchase included payment through BENJI tokens — digital representations of Franklin Templeton’s U.S. Government Money Fund shares
- The firm’s tokenized asset holdings have surged from $768 million to beyond $2.5 billion over the last twelve months
- The new unit aims to serve pension funds, sovereign wealth managers, and major institutional investment entities
Franklin Templeton has successfully concluded its purchase of 250 Digital, simultaneously introducing a dedicated business segment named Franklin Crypto. This represents a significant strategic expansion by a leading asset management firm into institutional-grade cryptocurrency investment services.
The acquisition was initially revealed in April 2026. 250 Digital originated in early 2026 as an independent entity separated from CoinFund, which opted to concentrate on venture capital activities and transferred its liquid cryptocurrency investment operations to the newly formed company.
Christopher Perkins, previously at the helm of 250 Digital, assumes leadership of Franklin Crypto. Seth Ginns continues as chief investment officer in the new division. Both executives accumulated extensive experience at CoinFund prior to the separation.
Franklin Templeton has kept complete financial details of the transaction confidential. Notably, a portion of the payment was executed using BENJI tokens — blockchain-based shares of its Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund.
This transaction represents a pioneering moment as one of the initial significant mergers and acquisitions within financial services to utilize tokenized fund shares as payment rather than conventional cash or equity instruments.
What Franklin Crypto Will Do
The newly formed division targets institutional capital sources including pension systems, sovereign wealth entities, and substantial asset management organizations. It will deliver active cryptocurrency investment strategies encompassing liquid digital token markets, venture capital opportunities, and specialized products linked to blockchain technology infrastructure.
Franklin Templeton emphasized that the division merges the investment expertise of the previous 250 Digital personnel with the company’s extensive worldwide distribution capabilities, reaching across more than 35 nations.
The organization oversees approximately $1.78 trillion in total assets under management.
Franklin Templeton’s Growing Digital Asset Footprint
Franklin Crypto marks the most recent advancement in the firm’s comprehensive digital asset strategy. This past February, Franklin Templeton established a collaboration with Binance enabling institutional clients to utilize tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for cryptocurrency transactions.
In March, the organization joined forces with Ondo Finance to distribute tokenized ETFs across blockchain platforms.
Just last week, the firm submitted proposals for two ETFs designed to redirect stock dividend proceeds into Bitcoin-related investments, establishing a hybrid financial product that bridges traditional equities and digital currencies.
Franklin Templeton’s tokenized asset portfolio has expanded dramatically from approximately $768 million in June 2025 to more than $2.5 billion currently, based on RWA.xyz statistics.
The overall tokenized asset sector has experienced parallel growth, climbing from roughly $11.8 billion to $32.2 billion throughout the past year.
Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson has openly discussed how blockchain technology challenges traditional Wall Street fee models. The company submitted applications for a Bitcoin ETF well ahead of widespread institutional adoption.
The 250 Digital transaction provides Franklin Templeton with an independent cryptocurrency management team and operational infrastructure, moving beyond merely incorporating digital assets into existing investment fund offerings.
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