Kraken parent, Franklin Templeton to develop onchain investment products

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Kraken parent, Franklin Templeton to develop onchain investment products The partnership will focus on tokenized yield products, blockchain-based funds and institutional crypto markets. By Helene Braun | Edited by Sheldon Reback May 12, 2026, 1:30 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Payward and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi. (CoinDesk) What to know : Payward, the parent of crypto exchange Kraken, is working with asset manager Franklin Templeton to develop a range of tokenized financial products for institutional investors. The collaboration will focus on blockchain-based offerings such as tokenized yield products, tokenized equities, custody services and actively managed onchain funds, some of which may be available to retail Kraken users in certain jurisdictions. Kraken plans to integrate Franklin Templeton’s BENJI tokenized money market funds as collateral and cash management tools, reflecting broader Wall Street interest in tokenized Treasuries and funds that can move collateral around the clock. Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, is working with asset manager Franklin Templeton to expand the use of tokenized financial products for institutional investors. The companies said Tuesday they will develop a range of blockchain-based investment offerings, including tokenized yield products, tokenized equities and custody services tied to digital assets. The move comes as large financial firms explore testing tokenized versions of conventional assets. BlackRock, Fidelity and JPMorgan have all expanded blockchain-related financial products over the past two years, particularly tokenized Treasuries and money market funds. Tokenization refers to representing traditional financial assets such as stocks, bonds or money market funds on blockchain networks, where they can be traded and settled digitally. Supporters argue the approach can reduce settlement times, expand market access and allow assets to move more easily between financial platforms. The collaboration joins two firms that have taken different routes into tokenized finance. Franklin Templeton has spent years building blockchain-based investment products. Payward has focused on crypto trading infrastructure through Kraken and its xStocks tokenized equities platform, which the company says has processed more than $30 billion in trading volume since starting up in 2025. The firms plan to explore actively managed tokenized investment products that could trade onchain and become available to institutional investors and, in some jurisdictions, retail Kraken users. Kraken also plans to integrate BENJI, Franklin Templeton’s suite of tokenized money market funds, into its platform. The funds could serve as collateral or cash management tools for institutional trading clients seeking blockchain-based alternatives to traditional treasury operations. Analysts view tokenized Treasury funds as one of the fastest-growing sectors in digital assets because they offer yields tied to government securities while operating on blockchain rails. In practice, that can allow institutions to move collateral around the clock instead of waiting for banking hours or multiday settlement periods. Read more: Kraken parent Payward seeks fresh funding at $20 billion valuation ahead of planned IPO Kraken Tokenization More For You Elliptic raises $120 million backed by Nasdaq, Deutsche Bank as AI reshapes crypto security By Krisztian Sandor | Edited by Sheldon Reback 1 minute ago The crypto analytics firm plans to expand its AI-powered monitoring tools as stablecoins and tokenized finance grow rapidly, CEO Simone Maini said. What to know : Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic raised $120 million in a funding round led by One Peak, valuing the London-based company at $610 million and drawing backing from investors including Nasdaq Ventures and Deutsche Bank. The investment comes after a surge in crypto hacks that's seen nearly $3 billion stolen since the... Read full story Latest Crypto News Elliptic raises $120 million backed by Nasdaq, Deutsche Bank as AI reshapes crypto security 1 minute ago CoinDesk 20 performance update: SUI drops 4.9%, as index trades lower 14 minutes ago Hot inflation data pours cold water on Federal Reserve rate cut hopes 44 minutes ago CleanSpark stock slides 9% as quarterly earnings miss estimates on bitcoin holdings loss 56 minutes ago DTCC builds out blockchain-based collateral system with Chainlink integration 1 hour ago Exodus dumps 1,000 bitcoin: Why the crypto wallet is cashing out to fund a payments empire 1 hour ago Top Stories Clarity Act, in the flesh, unveiled by U.S. Senate Banking Committee before hearing 9 hours ago Bitcoin will 'explode' past $90,000 and hit $126,000, Arthur Hayes says 2 hours ago 'A big nothing burger': A Q&A with Strategy's Michael Saylor on selling bitcoin 17 hours ago 'Bitcoin transactions can be monitored’: Ray Dalio explains why central banks won’t touch BTC 7 hours ago ETH/BTC ratio falls to 10-month low as ether continues to underperform bitcoin 3 hours ago Bitcoin miner MARA sold $1.5 billion of bitcoin as it shifts toward AI infrastructure 5 hours ago