Author: DLNews
Compiled by: Deep Tide TechFlow
Deep Tide Guide: Franklin Templeton manages over $1.5 trillion in assets. This move isn't just about acquiring a company; it specifically involves establishing an independent cryptocurrency business division.
Coupled with Mastercard's recent $1.8 billion acquisition of BVNK and Stripe's acquisition of Bridge, traditional financial institutions are intensifying their efforts. Experts predict that the scale of M&A in crypto will exceed $37 billion by 2026.
Franklin Templeton has officially established a new crypto business division—Franklin Crypto.
The news came alongside another announcement: the investment giant revealed the acquisition of 250 Digital, a crypto investment management company spun off from CoinFund. The acquisition amount was not disclosed by either party.
"The institutional era for the crypto industry has arrived. Franklin Crypto will help our global clients navigate this complex and rapidly evolving asset class, providing them with the expertise, insights, and digital asset products that meet professional investment needs," said Christopher Perkins, who will head the new division, in a statement to DL News.
The news of this deal comes against a backdrop of recent密集 (intense/concentrated) moves by traditional financial institutions. In March, Mastercard acquired stablecoin infrastructure startup BVNK for $1.8 billion, and institutional lending entity FundBank acquired Irish blockchain startup Trrue Chain for $11 million. Fintech giant Stripe, valued at $159 billion, also made moves, acquiring the stablecoin project Bridge, among other companies.
Experts anticipate that the continued acquisition of blockchain enterprises by traditional financial institutions will drive the total scale of crypto M&A transactions in 2026 to surpass the $37 billion achieved in 2025.
Franklin Crypto
Franklin Crypto will further expand upon Franklin Templeton's existing crypto and blockchain venture capital business while striving to broaden the company's digital asset investment management platform. As of December 31 last year, Franklin Templeton Digital Assets managed approximately $1.8 billion in global assets.
This transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year.
Franklin Templeton's ambitions for its crypto business are no secret. Last December, Robert Crossley, the company's Global Head of Industry Advisory Services, told DL News that they were seeing growing interest from institutional investors.
"We are seeing more and more sophisticated investors starting to consider diversification and long-term returns," Crossley said. "Younger investors are drawn to crypto because it aligns naturally with how they interact with technology and money."
"As digital assets become part of mainstream financial planning, the gap between these two investor groups is narrowing," Crossley added.
