Franklin Templeton completed its acquisition of 250 Digital and created Franklin Crypto, a division offering actively managed crypto strategies to institutional clients.
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Franklin Templeton closes 250 Digital deal, launches $1.7T crypto unit
Franklin Templeton completed its acquisition of active crypto investment manager 250 Digital and created a new division called Franklin Crypto, the $1.7 trillion asset manager said Monday.
The new unit combines 250 Digital's investment team and liquid cryptocurrency strategies with Franklin Templeton's global distribution network, according to a company statement. Franklin Templeton will also invest its own capital into these strategies as part of the closing agreement.
Crypto industry veterans Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns will co-lead Franklin Crypto, with Perkins serving as head of the division and chief investment officer. Tony Pecore, a Franklin Templeton Digital Assets veteran, will also join the leadership team. The division absorbs the entire 250 Digital investment team alongside all liquid cryptocurrency strategies previously managed under CoinFund, which spun out the business in January.
The acquisition, first announced in April, marks Franklin Templeton's latest push into digital assets beyond tokenization and passive exposure. The firm's tokenized assets have more than tripled over the past year to about $2.5 billion, up from $768 million in June 2025, according to RWA.xyz data. The broader tokenized real-world asset market has grown to $32.2 billion from $11.8 billion over the same period.
Franklin Templeton has been building across multiple parts of the digital asset stack. In February, it partnered with Binance to let institutional investors use tokenized money market fund shares as collateral for crypto trading. In March, it teamed with Ondo Finance to offer tokenized exchange-traded funds on blockchain networks. The firm also recently proposed two exchange-traded funds that would reinvest stock dividends into Bitcoin-linked investments.
The deal gives Franklin Templeton a dedicated platform for actively managed crypto strategies at a time when large asset managers are moving beyond passive bitcoin and ether ETFs into more specialized digital asset products. For institutional clients, the value proposition centers on managed exposure, risk controls and portfolio construction through a familiar asset management brand, rather than managing wallets, exchange relationships or liquidity risk directly.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
[1] Franklin Templeton closes 250 Digital acquisition deal and sets up new Franklin Crypto division[2] Franklin Templeton launches Franklin Crypto after closing 250 Digital acquisition[3] Franklin Templeton Completes 250 Digital Acquisition to Launch Crypto Unit[4] Franklin Templeton completes 250 digital acquisition, launches dedicated crypto unit
