Franklin Templeton, a global investment leader, announced a plan to acquire 250 Digital, an active cryptocurrency investment management firm led by financial industry veterans Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns of CoinFund Management LLC. The acquisition would include the 250 Digital investment team and all liquid cryptocurrency strategies previously run by CoinFund. Franklin Templeton will invest in the strategies as part of the agreement.

Following Franklin Templeton’s acquisition of 250 Digital, Perkins will head the division and Ginns will serve as Chief Investment Officer, leading the newly formed Franklin Crypto unit alongside Franklin Templeton Digital Assets investment veteran Tony Pecore, bringing together crypto-native expertise with Franklin Templeton’s global distribution to target institutional growth. Reporting to Sandy Kaul, Head of Innovation for Franklin Templeton, Franklin Crypto will expand Franklin Templeton’s existing suite of crypto and blockchain VC investment offerings and will broaden the firm’s digital assets investment management platform. Franklin Templeton Digital Assets manages approximately $1.8 billion in global assets as of December 31, 2025.

“This is an exciting addition for Franklin Templeton, and we’re pleased to welcome Chris, Seth and the 250 Digital team to our firm,” said Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton. “Together, their investment talent and differentiated strategies strengthen our capabilities in digital assets and position us among a small group of global asset managers with a dedicated, institutional-grade crypto investment management team, enhancing our ability to serve clients worldwide.”

“Crypto’s institutional moment has arrived, and Franklin Crypto will help our global clients navigate this complex and rapidly evolving asset class by delivering the expertise, knowledge and digital asset products that meet their sophisticated investment needs,” said Perkins. “In partnership with Seth, Tony and our teams, we will position Franklin Crypto as the global leader in digital asset management.”

“We’re thrilled to join Franklin Templeton and work alongside visionary leaders including Jenny and Sandy, who have cemented the firm as an early mover and clear leader in the crypto ecosystem as blockchain technology builders, node operators, thought leaders and active crypto managers,” added Ginns. “We share a long-term vision, and with the client-centric culture and distribution strengths of Franklin Templeton, we are well positioned to expand our collective reach and accelerate the growth and adoption of our strategies globally.”

The transaction is expected to close in the second calendar quarter of 2026, subject to the execution of definitive transaction agreements, client consents and other customary closing conditions, and will incorporate BENJI tokens as payment consideration, marking an important and innovative step toward conducting M&A transactions on chain. The Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (FOBXX), better known as BENJI, launched in 2021 and is the world’s first U.S.-registered mutual fund to use blockchain-integrated technology to process transactions and record share ownership.

Franklin Templeton is a pioneer in digital asset investing and blockchain innovation, combining tokenomics research, data science, and technical expertise to deliver cutting-edge solutions since 2018.

Source: Franklin Templeton

Perkins said on X that the convergence of traditional finance and the digital asset ecosystem is no longer a “future” trend — “it is the reality of 2026.” He said:

“Crypto’s institutional era is upon us, and to succeed, Franklin Crypto must leverage its deep and unique understanding of crypto and traditional finance to build differentiated, scalable and compliant products for our clients.

We aren’t just observing the market; we are active participants in its transformation. Markets are tokenizing. The once-distinct lines between crypto and traditional assets are blurring into a single, cohesive financial landscape. Perhaps most importantly, the era of the “9-to-5″ market is fading as we embrace the reality of 24/7 global liquidity.

The timing for this transition couldn’t be better. We are currently seeing a unique divergence: while broader market sentiment may fluctuate, the underlying fundamentals of the crypto markets continue to improve at an exponential rate.”

Today, I’m very excited to announce that I will be joining @FTI_Global as the head of Franklin Crypto.

The convergence of traditional finance (TradFi) and the digital asset ecosystem is no longer a "future" trend—it is the reality of 2026. As I prepare to step into my new role… pic.twitter.com/2YdLt5SG9k

— Christopher Perkins 🦅🌎⚓️NYC (@perkinscr97) April 1, 2026