Franklin Templeton Builds Active Crypto Arm to Chase Institutional Money

A New Division With Deep Roots

The deal closes with the full 250 Digital investment team joining Franklin Templeton, along with all liquid cryptocurrency strategies previously run by Coinfund. Franklin Templeton said it will invest in those strategies as part of the agreement.

Christopher Perkins, a veteran of the crypto industry, will serve as Head of Franklin Crypto. Seth Ginns, also from the 250 Digital team, takes the role of Chief Investment Officer. They will work alongside Tony Pecore, an investment veteran from Franklin Templeton Digital Assets. The division reports to Sandy Kaul, Head of Innovation at Franklin Templeton.

What Franklin Crypto Will Do

Franklin Crypto is positioned to offer institutional clients actively managed cryptocurrency strategies, bringing together the former 250 Digital investment team’s expertise and Franklin Templeton’s global distribution reach.

The division builds on an existing digital asset unit inside Franklin Templeton that already handles fundamental research, active portfolio construction, and institutional risk oversight.

Why This Move Matters

Franklin Templeton manages $1.78 trillion in assets as of May 31, 2026, and operates in more than 35 countries. That scale gives Franklin Crypto an immediate distribution advantage that most crypto-native firms cannot replicate.

For institutional investors who have been cautious about crypto exposure, a firm with Franklin Templeton’s track record and infrastructure offers a different entry point than dealing with a smaller crypto-only manager.

The combination of Perkins and Ginns, both known inside the industry from their Coinfund work, and a firm with nearly eight decades of investment management history, is a pairing institutions have generally not had access to in this form.

Broader Context

Franklin Templeton has been building toward this for some time. The company has maintained a digital asset research unit and has been active in filing for digital asset products with regulators. The formal creation of Franklin Crypto signals that the firm is moving beyond exploratory positioning and into dedicated active management.

For the crypto industry, the move adds another major traditional asset manager to the list of firms building out institutional-grade digital asset offerings. That list has grown steadily as institutional demand for regulated, professionally managed crypto exposure has increased.