Table of Contents
Franklin Templeton signaled a larger tokenization push that goes beyond ETFs, saying it will bring more of its funds onto blockchain rails and into digital wallets. The firm framed wallets as a new distribution channel for mainstream products, building on its early work with tokenized money market funds and transfer-agent functions on public chains.
In fresh comments, Franklin Templeton executives outline plan to widen access through its Benji infrastructure, which records share ownership and transactions on-chain. The company says this wallet-first model can cut costs and speed settlement while keeping compliance features embedded in tokens. Rivals are moving too, but Franklin stresses it began building these rails years ago and now aims to scale them.
Evidence of the wider reach is growing. In September, DBS, Franklin Templeton and Ripple detail partnership to list Franklin’s tokenized money market fund (sgBENJI) alongside Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on DBS Digital Exchange, enabling trading, lending and potential collateralization (Reuters). The setup shows tokenized funds operating beyond ETF wrappers, with institutions interacting through bank-grade venues.
“We think our entire product suite will be onchain at some point in the future,” said Sandy Kaul, Executive Vice President and Head of Innovation at Franklin Templeton. She added that moving to wallet-based systems can deliver efficiency and “new functionality like intra-day yield,” pointing to a step-by-step migration across asset types. The remarks state view that tokenized funds, private credit and other assets will follow as rules mature.
Market demand also supports a broader move. Tokenized Treasury and money market funds have grown sharply this year, and large managers—including Franklin—now position these instruments as yield-bearing building blocks for collateral, payments and financing. If Franklin’s wallet strategy scales, more of its products could launch as programmable tokens, opening simpler routes for investors to hold, transfer and use regulated assets on-chain.
