Institutional cryptocurrency investment expands through acquisition of 250 Digital
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Franklin Templeton announced on the 1st that it plans to acquire 250 Digital, which operates a liquidity-focused cryptocurrency investment strategy. Upon completion of the transaction, it will be integrated into a new organization called Franklin Crypto.
Franklin Templeton strengthens its cryptocurrency investment management capabilities for institutional investors through this acquisition. Christopher Perkins leads Franklin Crypto, and Seth Ginns serves as Chief Investment Officer alongside Tony Pecore.
This transaction also includes the BENJI Token, a tokenized stake in the Franklin On-Chain U.S. Government Money Fund. The fund is a tokenized regulated money market fund established in 2021.
Franklin Templeton is also acquiring all liquidity strategies previously operated by CoinFund. The company announced plans to make additional investments in these strategies.
This acquisition is scheduled to be completed within the second quarter of 2026. It will be finalized following procedures such as the signing of a final contract and customer consent.
Franklin Templeton currently manages digital assets worth approximately $1.8 billion (2.7349 trillion KRW). The company has been expanding its institutional investment business in the cryptocurrency market since 2018.
Franklin Templeton is one of the major asset management firms that launched U.S. spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) alongside BlackRock and others. The company has embarked on business expansion, viewing the recent market downturn as a long-term investment opportunity.
Sandy Kaul, Franklin Templeton’s Chief Innovation Officer, stated in a recent remark, "This market downturn is an opportunity to build long-term infrastructure and secure talent."
Reporter Jeong Ha-yeon yomwork8824@blockstreet.co.kr
