Franklin Templeton Completes 250 Digital Deal, Launches Crypto Unit

The new unit arrives amid rapid growth in tokenized assets, with Franklin Templeton's onchain product suite expanding from roughly $768 million to more than $2.5 billion over the past year.

Global asset manager Franklin Templeton has completed its acquisition of crypto asset manager 250 Digital, closing a deal first announced in April and expanding its digital asset business with a new division focused on cryptocurrency investing.

As part of the transaction, Franklin Templeton absorbed 250 Digital's investment team and cryptocurrency strategies into a newly created division called Franklin Crypto. The unit will be led by former 250 Digital executives Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns alongside Franklin Templeton digital assets executive Tony Pecore.

The acquisition follows CoinFund's decision earlier this year to spin out its liquid strategies business into 250 Digital as the crypto investment firm sharpened its focus on venture investing.

Franklin Templeton said Franklin Crypto will offer institutional investors actively managed cryptocurrency strategies, combining the investment capabilities of the former 250 Digital team with the asset manager's global distribution network. The company did not disclose the financial terms of the acquisition.

The new division builds on the asset manager's existing digital asset business, which includes a dedicated unit focused on digital asset research, portfolio construction and institutional risk management. Franklin Templeton manages approximately $1.78 trillion in assets and operates in more than 35 countries, according to the company.

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The acquisition is the latest in a series of moves by Franklin Templeton to expand its digital asset business across cryptocurrency investing and tokenized financial products.

In February, the company announced a partnership with Binance that lets institutional investors use tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for cryptocurrency trading. Under the framework, the tokenized fund shares remained in regulated custody while their collateral value is reflected within Binance's trading system.

In March, Franklin Templeton partnered with Ondo Finance to offer tokenized exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on blockchain networks, expanding access to its investment products beyond traditional brokerage accounts. Last week, the firm also proposed two ETFs that would reinvest stock dividends into Bitcoin-linked investments , creating a hybrid strategy spanning equities and digital assets.

RWA.xyz data shows Franklin Templeton's tokenized assets have more than tripled over the past year, rising from about $768 million in June 2025 to more than $2.5 billion today.

The broader tokenized asset market has also expanded rapidly, with onchain RWA value rising from about $11.8 billion to $32.2 billion over the past year.

The value of Franklin Templeton's tokenized assets. Source: RWA.xyz

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