Franklin Templeton brings ETFs on-chain as Ethereum hosts over $13B in tokenized assets

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-03-25Last updated on 2026-03-25

Abstract

Franklin Templeton is launching two ETFs that can be traded directly through crypto wallets 24/7, marking a shift in how traditional financial products are accessed. One fund tracks the S&P 500, while the other focuses on short-term U.S. Treasuries. Both will be issued on Ethereum, enabling peer-to-peer trading without relying on traditional brokers or market hours. The move aligns with the growing tokenized real-world asset market on Ethereum, which has reached approximately $13.6 billion in value, with U.S. Treasury products making up the majority at $11.8 billion. The firm is collaborating with Ondo Finance to support the tokenized distribution of the funds.

Franklin Templeton is launching two exchange-traded funds that can be traded directly through crypto wallets around the clock. It marks a shift in how traditional financial products are accessed and settled.

The move brings equity and bond exposure onto blockchain rails, at a time when tokenized assets on Ethereum alone are approaching $13.6 billion.

The asset manager said the funds — one tracking the S&P 500 and another focused on short-term U.S. Treasuries — will be issued on Ethereum and available for trading 24/7.

Investors will be able to buy, sell, and hold shares using self-custody wallets, removing the need for traditional brokerage accounts and standard market hours.

Franklin Templeton is also working with Ondo Finance to support the tokenized distribution of the funds.

According to Bloomberg, the collaboration will allow the ETFs to trade in crypto wallets continuously, bypassing the brokerage infrastructure that has traditionally defined ETF access.

Franklin Templeton launches ETFs that trade directly in crypto wallets

The two ETFs are designed as fully on-chain products, allowing peer-to-peer trading without relying on centralized intermediaries.

While access through traditional brokers will still be supported, the core functionality shifts toward wallet-based ownership and transfer.

Franklin Templeton said the funds will operate under a hybrid structure, allowing shares to be created or redeemed in both fiat currency and stablecoins. This model is intended to bridge conventional financial systems with blockchain-based settlement.

The firm has already expanded its digital asset footprint in recent years. This includes the launch of an on-chain money market fund and is now extending that approach to broader asset classes.

How the funds work without brokers or market hours

Unlike traditional ETFs, which are limited by exchange trading hours and settlement timelines, the new funds are designed to function continuously. Transactions can occur at any time, with ownership recorded directly on-chain.

This setup reduces reliance on intermediaries and shortens settlement cycles, while giving investors direct control over their holdings through self-custody wallets.

The funds will also be compatible with platforms that support on-chain settlement, allowing participation from both crypto-native users and traditional investors.

Tokenized assets on Ethereum near $13.6B as Treasuries dominate growth

Franklin Templeton’s move comes as tokenized real-world assets continue to expand on Ethereum.

Data shows total on-chain RWA market capitalization on the network has reached approximately $13.6 billion. Also, around $9.86 billion is actively circulating across 36 issuers.

Source: DefiLlama

Within that market, tokenized U.S. Treasury products account for roughly $11.8 billion, making them the largest segment.

This aligns closely with Franklin Templeton’s decision to include a Treasury-focused ETF, suggesting the firm is targeting an already established demand base.

Growth has accelerated since 2024, with tokenized funds and credit products driving most of the expansion. The trend points to increasing institutional participation, as asset managers test blockchain-based distribution and settlement models.

The ETFs are expected to launch in the coming weeks, pending regulatory clearance.

Final Summary

  • Franklin Templeton’s ETFs shift trading from broker-led systems to wallet-based, 24/7 access on Ethereum.
  • The launch aligns with a $13.6B tokenized asset market where Treasuries already dominate demand.

Related Questions

QWhat is Franklin Templeton launching and on which blockchain?

AFranklin Templeton is launching two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that can be traded directly through crypto wallets, and they are being issued on the Ethereum blockchain.

QHow do these new ETFs differ from traditional ETFs in terms of trading and settlement?

AUnlike traditional ETFs limited by exchange hours and settlement timelines, these new funds can be traded 24/7 with transactions settled directly on-chain, reducing reliance on intermediaries and allowing peer-to-peer trading.

QWhat is the total value of tokenized real-world assets on Ethereum mentioned in the article?

AThe total on-chain real-world asset market capitalization on Ethereum has reached approximately $13.6 billion.

QWhich type of tokenized asset dominates the current on-chain market, and what is its approximate value?

ATokenized U.S. Treasury products dominate the market, accounting for roughly $11.8 billion of the total tokenized assets on Ethereum.

QWho is Franklin Templeton collaborating with to support the tokenized distribution of these funds?

AFranklin Templeton is working with Ondo Finance to support the tokenized distribution of the funds.

Related Reads

From Code to Cognition: A Ten-Thousand-Word Guide to the Evolution of the Robot Brain

"From Code to Cognition: The Evolution of Robot Brains" The journey of robotic intelligence has shifted dramatically from manually coded systems to AI-driven brains. For decades, robots relied on layered software stacks—perception, state estimation, planning, control—each handcrafted. While predictable, they lacked adaptability. The 2010s saw deep learning revolutionize perception (e.g., object detection) and control (via reinforcement learning), but learned skills remained narrow. The arrival of Large Language Models (LLMs) marked a turning point. LLMs acted as high-level planners, interpreting natural language instructions and generating sequences of actions for traditional robotic systems to execute. However, true integration came with Visual-Language-Action (VLA) models, which fused vision, language, and motion prediction into a single network. Pioneered by models like RT-2 and open-source projects like OpenVLA, VLAs enable robots to reason and act directly from visual input and commands. The most advanced humanoid robots now employ a "dual-brain" architecture: a slow-thinking, large VLA (System 2) for reasoning and planning, and a fast-reacting, small network (System 1) for high-frequency motion control, sometimes with an even lower-level System 0 for balance. This split balances cognition with the physics of real-time movement. Computation is split between onboard hardware (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson) for safety-critical control loops and cloud/edge servers for non-critical tasks like learning and interfaces. A crucial driver is the open-source ecosystem—models like GR00T and OpenVLA allow startups to build upon pre-trained brains and fine-tune them with their own data, accelerating development. Despite progress, current systems struggle with recovery from errors, sample inefficiency, and long-horizon tasks. This has spurred the rise of **World Models**—neural networks that predict the consequences of actions. By simulating possible futures before acting (like NVIDIA Cosmos or Meta V-JEPA), robots can plan, recover, and generalize better. This represents the next frontier: shifting intelligence from learned reactions to an internal model of physics and cause-and-effect. The field is rapidly evolving. While not yet at its "ChatGPT moment," the convergence of cheaper hardware, scalable simulation, and world models points toward robots that are increasingly capable, adaptive, and useful. The question is shifting from "what can robots do?" to "what *should* they do?"

marsbit7m ago

From Code to Cognition: A Ten-Thousand-Word Guide to the Evolution of the Robot Brain

marsbit7m ago

AI Bubble Is Bursting

The AI Bubble is Bursting: A Necessary Purge on the Path to Ubiquitous Intelligence Market volatility has reignited debates about an AI bubble, with figures like Ray Dalio pointing to high valuations. However, this parallels the dot-com bubble, which, despite its crash, laid the physical infrastructure for today's internet era. The current AI investment frenzy, with tech giants planning trillions in infrastructure spending far outstripping current AI application revenues, appears similarly imbalanced. This 'bubble' is seen as an inevitable phase for a disruptive technology, paying the "innovation tax." Critically, AI inference costs have plummeted over 99.7% since 2023, making intelligence nearly free at the margin. This hasn't reduced spending but has instead unlocked massive new demand, as seen in enterprise AI cloud expenditure tripling. This follows the Jevons Paradox: efficiency gains lead to greater total consumption. The market is now entering a cleansing phase, weeding out speculative ventures lacking real moats. The deeper shift is a move from capital expenditure (CapEx) on hardware to value creation in operational expenditure (OpEx) through AI applications that solve real industry problems. While infrastructure valuations are high, rapid earnings growth from widespread AI adoption across sectors—from manufacturing and finance to law and healthcare—may digest these valuations over time. Ultimately, this creative destruction will leave behind robust infrastructure and optimized models, cheaply powering an AI-augmented future for all industries, much as the internet became indispensable after its own bubble burst. The core productive potential remains undiminished.

链捕手17m ago

AI Bubble Is Bursting

链捕手17m ago

The AI Bubble is Bursting

The article argues that while a bubble in the AI sector is real and is currently showing signs of deflation, this is a typical, even necessary, phase for a transformative technology. It draws parallels to the dot-com bubble, where speculative excess was followed by the consolidation of internet infrastructure, enabling the digital age. Similarly, today's massive investments in AI infrastructure (data centers, power, cooling) far outpace current application-layer revenue, creating a valuation imbalance. However, the author contends this apparent bubble is not a sign of failure but of a transition. Key drivers include the plummeting cost of AI inference (over 99.7% in two years), which, per Jevons Paradox, has unleashed massive new demand as AI moves from simple tasks to complex agentic workflows across all industries. The market is now cleansing itself of shallow, speculative ventures, shifting value from capital expenditure (CapEx) on hardware to operational expenditure (OpEx) on transformative AI applications. The conclusion is that the underlying productive force of AI is undeniable. The current financial correction will eliminate weak players, leaving behind robust infrastructure and efficient models. This will ultimately fuel an "AI+" era where intelligence becomes as ubiquitous and essential as the internet, embedding itself into every sector of the economy.

marsbit18m ago

The AI Bubble is Bursting

marsbit18m ago

The Next Bitcoin ETF Boom May Be Coming From Japan – Here’s Why

Despite recent outflows from US Spot Bitcoin ETFs, market attention is shifting to Japan as the potential next major market for such funds. This follows regulatory reforms in Japan that are moving cryptocurrency oversight to a financial instruments framework, potentially enabling Bitcoin ETF approval. Analysis suggests a Japanese spot Bitcoin ETF could attract significant inflows, ranging from ¥900 billion ($5.61 billion) in a conservative scenario to ¥3.1 trillion ($19.34 billion) in a bullish one. A base-case estimate of ¥1.4 trillion ($8.73 billion) would equate to demand for roughly 140,000 BTC. Beyond price impact, a Japanese ETF is seen as boosting Bitcoin's legitimacy and accessibility for investors and institutions. Bitcoin's price was around $61,038 at the time of writing, down 2.81% over 24 hours.

bitcoinist38m ago

The Next Bitcoin ETF Boom May Be Coming From Japan – Here’s Why

bitcoinist38m ago

Trump's 43 Minutes: The Strongman Narrative Unravels, the Media War Escalates

President Donald Trump's first public appearance in over a week, intended to project control amidst health concerns and political challenges, devolved into a 43-minute display of grievance and insecurity. He focused initially on a reflecting pool renovation, compared his rally size to Martin Luther King Jr.'s, and repeatedly attacked political opponents, judges, and U.S. cities. He signed executive orders, including one weakening job protections for senior federal employees, potentially replacing expertise with loyalty. His speech meandered to topics like communism before ending abruptly. The article highlights Trump's agitated, defensive state and the systemic pressures enabling his power. It details his personal attack on a CNN reporter, framing it as part of a broader assault on independent media to undermine public trust in unfavorable facts. This pressure is exemplified by the reported erosion of editorial independence at CBS. The author argues that as mainstream media faces political and commercial pressures, supporting independent journalists becomes crucial for preserving truthful information. The piece concludes by noting a symbolic House vote challenging Trump's Iran actions, suggesting growing Republican dissent, and frames financial support for independent media as a direct form of resistance.

marsbit4h ago

Trump's 43 Minutes: The Strongman Narrative Unravels, the Media War Escalates

marsbit4h ago

Trading

Spot
Futures

Hot Articles

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of ETH (ETH) are presented below.

活动图片

Top Questions

Hot Categoriesright-arrow

Hot Tagsright-arrow