Strategic program aims to accelerate institutional adoption of tokenized real-world assets, and explores the co-design of tokenized cultural assets‍

Franklin Templeton, a global investment manager and leader in digital asset innovation, and Animoca Brands, a global digital assets and AI company, announced a strategic collaboration to bring tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) to NUVA, the Animoca Brands-backed vault marketplace.

The collaboration extends NUVA’s reach beyond its existing Provenance blockchain-based assets, unlocking access to institutional-grade assets from a broader base of asset issuers. Co-incubated by Animoca Brands and Nuva Labs, NUVA launched in May 2026 with vaults that unlock access to assets on the Provenance Blockchain, which holds over US$30 billion in total value locked as of 24 September 2026.

“The convergence of traditional finance and digital assets has gone from the theoretical to being a real infrastructure play. Franklin Templeton is a pioneer in tokenizing traditional financial assets, and this partnership allows us to integrate institutional-grade RWAs directly into NUVA’s vault architecture.” said Yat Siu, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands. “By combining battle-tested asset management with decentralized distribution, Nuva is expanding how institutional investors access RWAs.”

The two firms have also launched a four-part, co-authored research series, which builds on Franklin Templeton’s decade-long commitment to expanding the utility of blockchain-enabled investment solutions within institutional workflows. The thought leadership series, now live at www.franklintempleton.com/tokenization, examines the strategic significance of tokenization for institutional investors, the developments that have brought the market to this point, and how tokenization is changing the way institutions evaluate assets and construct portfolios.

‍“Tokenization is moving beyond simply putting traditional assets on blockchain rails. The next phase is about expanding how those assets can be accessed, utilized and integrated into increasingly digital investment ecosystems,” said Sandy Kaul, Head of Digital Assets and Innovation at Franklin Templeton. “Our collaboration with Animoca Brands and NUVA reflects that evolution, combining Franklin Templeton’s investment expertise and experience building blockchain-enabled solutions with new channels for delivering those capabilities to investors.”

‍Franklin Templeton and Animoca Brands expect to build on these initiatives by exploring additional areas of collaboration, including opportunities for the co-design and tokenization of real-world cultural assets, with additional details expected later this year.

‍Source: Franklin Templeton