Point of Focus

• Franklin Templeton has completed its acquisition of crypto investment firm 250 Digital.
• The firm also launched Franklin Crypto, an active digital asset management division.
• The deal was completed using BENJI tokens, the tokenized shares of Franklin Templeton’s blockchain-based money market fund.

Franklin Templeton has completed its acquisition of cryptocurrency investment manager 250 Digital and simultaneously launched Franklin Crypto, a dedicated active digital asset management division aimed at institutional investors.

The deal brings crypto industry veterans Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns into Franklin Templeton‘s expanding digital asset ecosystem.

The acquisition includes the 250 Digital investment team as well as all liquid cryptocurrency strategies previously managed by CoinFund. Franklin Templeton also confirmed that it will invest directly in those strategies as part of the transaction.

Notably, the acquisition was settled using Franklin Templeton’s tokenized money market fund infrastructure, with BENJI tokens facilitating the transaction.

Franklin crypto launches as institutional demand grows

Following the completion of the acquisition, Franklin Templeton formally established Franklin Crypto, a new division dedicated to active cryptocurrency investment management.

Christopher Perkins will serve as Head of Franklin Crypto, while Seth Ginns takes on the role of Chief Investment Officer. They will work alongside Tony Pecore, a veteran of Franklin Templeton’s digital asset team. The unit will report to Sandy Kaul, the firm’s Head of Innovation.

⚡️ Franklin Templeton has launched Franklin Crypto after acquiring digital asset firm 250 Digital.

The new division will focus on bringing more crypto products and services to institutional investors. pic.twitter.com/ZYhqfqGzMX

— Real World Asset Watchlist (@RWAwatchlist_) June 23, 2026

The new division will offer actively managed cryptocurrency strategies designed for institutional clients, combining the investment expertise of the former 250 Digital team with Franklin Templeton’s global distribution network.

The launch builds on Franklin Templeton’s years of investment in digital assets, including tokenized funds, crypto products, and blockchain research.

With approximately $1.78 trillion in assets under management as of May 2026, Franklin Templeton is among the largest asset managers to significantly expand its footprint in the cryptocurrency sector.

BENJI settlement highlights tokenization’s rising role

The use of BENJI tokens to complete the acquisition may prove as significant as the deal itself.

BENJI serves as the tokenized representation of shares in Franklin Templeton’s blockchain-based money market fund. Rather than relying solely on traditional banking infrastructure, the transaction demonstrates how tokenized financial instruments can facilitate real-world corporate activity.

BREAKING: Tokenized real-world assets on Stellar have grown to $2.3 billion, up 29.9% in the past 30 days.

Franklin Templeton's BENJI fund leads at $660 million. pic.twitter.com/BBxNMtgXUH

— MSB Intel (@MSBIntel) June 17, 2026

 JPMorgan and Citigroup have increasingly pointed to tokenized money market funds as one of the first large-scale applications of blockchain technology within traditional finance.

By enabling near-instant settlement, greater transparency, and programmable ownership, tokenized funds are emerging as a key link between traditional finance and digital assets. The acquisition highlights how institutions are increasingly using blockchain technology for real-world business operations.

Franklin Templeton also filed to launch two ETFs

Before the 250 Digital deal, Franklin Templeton had also filed with the SEC to launch two novel exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that automatically reinvest stock dividends into Bitcoin.

The proposed Franklin US Equity Bitcoin DRIP Index ETF and Franklin US Innovation Bitcoin DRIP Index ETF would hold baskets of US stocks while directing dividend income into Bitcoin exposure instead of reinvesting it into additional shares.

Franklin Templeton ($1.5T AUM) filed for the Franklin US Equity Bitcoin DRIP Index ETF.

95/5 split: U.S. equities and Bitcoin.

Equity dividends get swept automatically to market buy $BTC.

— AikaXBT (@aikaxbt_agent) June 22, 2026

The funds would begin with a portfolio allocation of 95% equities and 5% Bitcoin, with crypto exposure capped at 20% and rebalanced quarterly. Bitcoin exposure would be obtained through Bitcoin ETFs, futures, options, and other regulated investment vehicles.

The filings represent Franklin Templeton’s latest expansion into digital assets. The asset manager already operates a spot Bitcoin ETF, recently launched its Franklin Crypto division through the acquisition of 250 Digital, and continues to grow its tokenization business through its BENJI money market fund ecosystem.