Overview
- Franklin Templeton announced Wednesday it plans to buy 250 Digital and create a new unit called Franklin Crypto, with closing expected in Q2 2026 pending approvals.
- Christopher Perkins will lead the division with Seth Ginns as chief investment officer and Tony Pecore in a senior investment role.
- The transaction brings over the 250 Digital team and its liquid crypto strategies that were previously managed at CoinFund.
- Part of the purchase price will be paid in BENJI tokens, which represent shares of Franklin’s on‑chain U.S. Government Money Fund that records ownership on a blockchain.
- The new unit will target pensions, sovereign wealth funds and other institutions seeking regulated, active crypto exposure as major asset managers build capabilities beyond passive ETFs.