Franklin Templeton Closes 250 Digital Deal, Spins Up "Franklin Crypto" Unit 🏛️₿

Franklin Templeton has completed its acquisition of crypto asset manager 250 Digital, wrapping a transaction first announced in April and folding the firm's investment team and cryptocurrency strategies into a newly created division called Franklin Crypto. The global asset manager, which oversees approximately $1.78 trillion in assets across more than 35 countries, did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

Franklin Crypto will be led by former 250 Digital executives Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns, alongside Franklin Templeton digital assets executive Tony Pecore. The division is designed to offer institutional investors actively managed cryptocurrency strategies, combining the former 250 Digital team's investment capabilities with Franklin Templeton's global distribution network. The acquisition followed CoinFund's decision earlier this year to spin out its liquid strategies business into 250 Digital as CoinFund sharpened its focus on venture investing.

The new unit builds on Franklin Templeton's existing digital asset business, which already includes a dedicated team focused on digital asset research, portfolio construction and institutional risk management. Franklin Crypto will operate alongside that infrastructure as the firm continues to broaden its footprint across both direct cryptocurrency investing and tokenized financial products.

The acquisition is the latest in a string of moves by Franklin Templeton to expand its digital asset business. In February, the company announced a partnership with Binance that lets institutional investors use tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for cryptocurrency trading, with the tokenized fund shares remaining 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.

According to RWA.xyz, 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 same period.