Franklin Templeton and Moonpay have announced a significant integration aimed at enhancing the interaction between BENJI tokens and Moonpay Trade’s institutional onchain execution infrastructure, creating new opportunities for eligible institutions. This collaboration allows institutions to seamlessly swap between stablecoins and Franklin Templeton’s tokenized funds, optimizing treasury management and collateral workflows.
The recently forged partnership extends Franklin Templeton’s commitment to onchain expansion, following its acquisition of 250 Digital in April, which was conducted using BENJI tokens. The integration links Franklin Templeton’s proprietary blockchain-enabled recordkeeping system with Moonpay Trade’s comprehensive quote, routing, and execution network. For institutional users already possessing BENJI tokens, this development provides a valuable liquidity option, enabling movement back into stablecoin liquidity without the need to exit the onchain environment.
Franklin Templeton’s experience in tokenized finance is unmatched, having registered the world’s first U.S. mutual fund to process transactions on blockchain and launched the first fully tokenized UCITS fund in Luxembourg. Moreover, the firm aims to roll out the first retail tokenized fund in Singapore by 2025. The decision to incorporate BENJI tokens in its acquisition of 250 Digital represents an innovative approach to onchain merger and acquisition activity.
On the other hand, Moonpay contributes significant regulatory compliance and operational capabilities to the partnership, including a New York BitLicense and a range of money transmission licenses in the U.S. Furthermore, the company boasts MiCA authorization in the EU, alongside extensive custody services and stablecoin settlement capabilities.
Executives from both firms emphasized the importance of this partnership. Sandy Kaul, Head of Innovation and Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton, highlighted the necessity of making tokenized products practically useful, stating that “Tokenized money market funds only become more useful when they can move with the speed and programmability of the broader digital asset ecosystem.” This collaboration with Moonpay is intended to provide a trusted gateway for institutional movements between stablecoin liquidity and tokenized fund exposure.
Caroline D. Pham, CEO of Moonpay Institutional, underscored access as the main barrier to the widespread adoption of digital assets, noting that while tokenized money market funds offer improved liquidity and capital efficiency, they are only advantageous if institutions can access the onchain financial ecosystem.
Both Franklin Templeton and Moonpay view this integration as a stepping stone to a larger relationship, as interest in tokenized real-world assets grows amidst a broader push towards regulated digital finance. Franklin Templeton operates across over 35 countries, managing $1.74 trillion in assets as of April 2026, while Moonpay serves more than 30 million customers in 180 countries and supports over 500 enterprise clients. Their partnership reflects a growing trend towards enhancing institutional demand for onchain liquidity tools.
