Franklin Templeton Expands in Asia With Blockchain-Based Money Market Fund

Franklin Templeton, a global investment firm known for embracing blockchain innovation, has launched a blockchain-based money market fund in Hong Kong for professional investors. The initiative underscores the company’s strategy to expand its digital asset footprint across Asia while advancing tokenized finance solutions.

The Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund invests in short-term U.S. government securities, with each share represented as a token on the blockchain. According to Franklin Templeton, this tokenized structure enhances efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional fund models.

This launch aligns with Franklin Templeton’s participation in Hong Kong’s Project Ensemble, a Hong Kong Monetary Authority initiative aimed at exploring tokenized financial systems. The move also reinforces Hong Kong’s position as a rapidly growing hub for institutional digital asset innovation. Tariq Ahmad, Franklin Templeton’s Head of APAC, emphasized that the initiative reflects the firm’s commitment to expanding tokenized investment products throughout Asia.

Developed in partnership with HSBC and OSL, the Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange, the fund tested how the token—called gBENJI—could generate yield on-chain while integrating with HSBC’s tokenized deposits. This setup enables continuous settlement and improved investor operations, representing a major leap toward real-time, blockchain-driven financial infrastructure.

The fund is registered in Luxembourg under the EU’s UCITS regulations, which ensure investor protection and harmonized fund standards across member states. Using Franklin Templeton’s proprietary blockchain recordkeeping system, the fund issues, distributes, and services shares directly on-chain.

Franklin Templeton has been pioneering blockchain finance since 2018, with multiple tokenized fund launches supported by its Benji Technology Platform. The firm’s latest move in Hong Kong demonstrates how traditional asset management and blockchain technology are converging to shape the future of global finance.