TL;DR:
- Franklin Templeton managed a volume of $1.74 trillion in assets under management at the close of April 30, 2026.
- The Benji technology platform processed the launch of the first tokenized UCITS fund in Luxembourg during 2024 and the first tokenized retail fund in Singapore in 2025.
- MoonPay has a database of over 30 million customers across 180 countries and provides support to more than 500 companies.
Franklin Templeton and MoonPay join forces to integrate the BENJI token within the institutional infrastructure MoonPay Trade. This collaboration allows eligible institutional users to transfer capital between supported stablecoins and exposure to tokenized money market funds. The move represents MoonPay’s first foray into real-world assets (RWA) outside the traditional crypto ecosystem.
The integration utilizes MoonPay Trade’s quoting and routing system. According to official information from the firms, the ecosystem seeks to facilitate the use of Franklin Templeton’s suite of money market funds in institutional workflows. For current holders of these assets, the tool enables a path back to stablecoin liquidity.
Expansion of On-Chain Registry Technology
The Benji technology platform functions as Franklin Templeton’s blockchain-backed proprietary ledger and transfer agency infrastructure. According to historical data from the asset manager, this technology supported the first mutual fund registered in the United States to use blockchain networks for transaction processing.
In April 2026, the firm announced the incorporation of BENJI tokens as payment consideration in the planned acquisition of 250 Digital. Official documentation indicates that this step was designed with the goal of executing merger and acquisition transactions directly on the blockchain.
For its part, the MoonPay Institutional division provides regulatory compliance and know-your-customer (KYC) tools to oversee the operational flow, from custody to settlement.
Sandy Kaul, Head of Innovation and Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton, noted that tokenized money funds increase their utility by moving with the programmability of the digital ecosystem. The data provided by the executive suggests that the cooperation with MoonPay establishes a regulated channel to interface between institutional liquidity and on-chain funds.
Capital efficiency and direct access to decentralized financial markets are central to the technical purpose of this union. Caroline D. Pham, CEO of MoonPay Institutional, stated that digital assets offer liquidity advantages as long as institutions have the appropriate connectivity channels. According to Pham’s perspective, the collateral solutions developed alongside Franklin Templeton drive institutional adoption of financial instruments based on distributed ledgers.
Next Steps in Financial Infrastructure
The companies project that this agreement will serve as the foundation for an extended strategic relationship in institutional financial markets. MoonPay currently maintains operations under strict supervisory frameworks, which include New York’s BitLicense and authorization under MiCA regulations in the European Union. The next validation of this technical model will be reflected in the incorporation of new protocol networks and automated settlement tools during the current fiscal period.
