America-based asset management company Franklin Templeton is establishing a dedicated cryptocurrency division to further its work in the field of digital assets. Franklin Templeton initiated the acquisition of the investment company 250 Digital in order to develop investment strategies for cryptocurrencies, especially for institutional investors.
Franklin Crypto and its new management structure
The new division will operate under the name Franklin Crypto. The 250 Digital team and the liquid crypto strategies previously managed by CoinFund will be gathered under this roof. Thus, it is possible to bring together the knowledge and experience gained in different fields. According to the company’s statement, this restructuring aims to respond to the increasing interest of institutional investors.
Franklin Crypto is headed by Christopher Perkins, who previously worked at CoinFund. Seth Ginns will be the manager of the investment unit. Tony Pecore, one of the current executives of the digital assets department, will also be part of the management team. The entire unit will report to Sandy Kaul, who heads Franklin Templeton’s innovation unit.
Purchasing and token-based payment model
Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson stated that this step increases its capacity to offer crypto expertise to investors on a global scale. In the statement, it was noted that the new structure is powered by the company’s existing digital asset portfolio, which manages $1.8 billion, and its product diversity has increased.
The establishment of Franklin Crypto also reflects a trend for major fund managers to expand their own crypto capabilities beyond exchange-traded funds. According to Christopher Perkins, institutional investors seem to have both interest and need in this area. Large investors want to enter the digital asset market through structured means.
An important detail of the purchase process is the BENJI token that will be used in some of the payments. BENJI is a digital asset indexed to Franklin Templeton’s blockchain-based U.S. Public Monetary Fund. The company states that fund transactions and ownership records are kept on the blockchain.
This payment method is one of the first examples of using tokenized assets in mergers and acquisitions. Thus, the aim is to ensure that payment and reconciliation processes occur more directly via blockchain platforms.
Completion of the acquisition process is planned to take place in the second quarter of 2026. However, it is stated that the final closure is subject to regulatory approvals and some other conditions. No figure regarding the purchase price was shared.
