Franklin Templeton's $1.78 Trillion Crypto Division Launches with BENJI Token Deal

Franklin Templeton's new digital assets management division, Franklin Crypto, has officially launched after closing its acquisition of 250 Digital on June 22. The deal was finalized at a total value of $1.78 trillion and marks an important milestone for the firm in its push into active institutional crypto strategies.

The leadership team behind Franklin Crypto includes Chris Perkins as Head, Seth Ginns as Chief Investment Officer, and Tony Pecore from Franklin Templeton Digital Assets, who rounds out the executive bench.

One of the key factors that sets Franklin Crypto apart is its use of BENJI tokens as acquisition currency. This move represents one of the first major financial-services M&A deals settled in tokenized fund shares, signaling a shift towards tokenized money markets being used for operational corporate finance.

The launch of Franklin Crypto comes at a time when fiduciaries are facing increasing pressure to manage their books 24/7 alongside crypto-native venues. The use of blockchain rails also eliminates settlement risk, reducing exposure to seconds rather than days or weeks.