10.09.2025 21:54
From internet sources, a prominent asset management firm is forging a new alliance with a leading cryptocurrency exchange, signaling a significant step towards reshaping the future of finance. This development, detailed in a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter, underscores the evolving landscape where traditional finance and digital assets increasingly intersect.
Years ago, while immersed in the world of asset management for a business-to-business financial publication, the author began tracking Franklin Templeton. At that time, the concept of "TradFi" was unfamiliar, and knowledge of cryptocurrencies was nascent. Yet, the $1.6 trillion money manager has maintained its crucial relevance to the author's current focus on this transformed financial domain. A prior interview with Sandy Kaul of Franklin Templeton revealed an ambitious vision: the potential for all of the firm's products to eventually reside on-chain. Kaul had then hinted at further developments, a promise now seemingly fulfilled by the announcement of a collaboration with Binance.
The financial behemoth revealed its intention to partner with Binance on a range of digital asset initiatives and solutions. While specific details are forthcoming later this year, the core of the agreement involves leveraging Franklin Templeton's expertise in tokenization alongside Binance's robust trading infrastructure and extensive investor network. This synergy aims to deliver offerings characterized by "competitive yield generation and settlement efficiency." Data from Blockworks Research highlights Binance's current dominance in the cryptocurrency market, particularly its commanding lead over rivals in spot trading volume.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Franklin Templeton's Sandy Kaul articulated the company's perspective: "We see blockchain not as a threat to legacy systems, but as an opportunity to reimagine them." This forward-thinking approach has guided the company's increasing engagement with the cryptocurrency sector in recent years. Notably, Franklin Templeton was among a cohort of issuers that sought to launch a Bitcoin ETF in January 2024. Even earlier, in 2021, the firm introduced a money market fund that utilized the Stellar blockchain for transaction recording, with fund shares represented by a BENJI token accessible through a digital wallet application. An executive from Franklin, Roger Bayston, had previously explained in mid-2023 that the BENJI token could function akin to a stablecoin while simultaneously generating income, a conversion that...
