Franklin Templeton Backs Wallet-Native Future at Ondo Summit
At the Ondo Summit in New York, Franklin Templeton outlined a vision for a "wallet-native" financial ecosystem, shifting from traditional account-based models to tokenized digital wallets. The company’s Head of Innovation, Sandy Kaul, stated these wallets will eventually hold the entirety of an individual’s financial life. Through its blockchain platform Benji, Franklin Templeton is tokenizing traditional assets like stocks, bonds, and private funds—not just cryptocurrencies. This model allows assets held across institutions to be represented as tokens on a blockchain, enabling rapid collateralization—such as using tokenized S&P 500 investments to secure loans in seconds. Summit participants from firms like Fidelity and State Street indicated tokenization has moved beyond proof-of-concept to operational use. Franklin Templeton highlighted blockchain’s cost efficiency, citing potential processing cost reductions of up to 82%. The firm has launched several digital asset ETFs, including Bitcoin and Ethereum products, and plans to expand into layer-1 blockchain tokens. CEO Jenny Johnson expects increased institutional investment in tokenized vehicles this year, broadening access to asset classes like private equity and high-yield credit.
TheNewsCrypto02/04 12:26