Franklin Templeton Enhances Benji Tokenization Platform with Canton Network Integration

Franklin Templeton has broadened its tokenization and investment platform, Benji, by integrating it with the Canton Network. This move signifies a significant advancement in developing institutional blockchain infrastructure for tokenized investment products.

Key Takeaways

Franklin Templeton expands its Benji platform to the Canton Network.
The integration allows tokenized assets to serve as collateral and liquidity.
Key partners and backers include major financial institutions like HSBC and BNP Paribas.
There is a trend of increasing institutional adoption of tokenization for real-world assets.
The tokenized real-world asset market, excluding stablecoins, is valued at approximately $36.6 billion, with institutional funds contributing about $3 billion.

Franklin Templeton expands Benji tokenization platform to Canton Network

The newly announced integration links Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform with Canton, a blockchain network tailored for regulated financial institutions. This allows Benji’s tokenized assets, including its onchain US government money market fund, to be utilized as collateral within Canton’s Global Collateral Network. By connecting regulated investment tokens with the digital asset markets, Franklin Templeton reflects the growing trend of traditional financial institutions adopting blockchain technology amidst evolving regulatory frameworks.

Main Content

The integration of Franklin Templeton's proprietary Benji Technology Platform with Canton represents a pivotal development in the landscape of institutional blockchain infrastructure. Canton is specifically designed for regulated financial entities, which enhances the potential applications of tokenized assets in traditional finance.

Benji’s tokenized assets, including the onchain US government money market fund, are now positioned to be utilized as collateral and liquidity within Canton’s Global Collateral Network. Each Benji token corresponds to a share of Franklin Templeton’s tokenized money market fund, with ownership tracked onchain and yields calculated intraday.

This collaboration aims to merge regulated tokenized investment products with the rapidly evolving institutional digital asset market. As more established financial organizations explore incorporating blockchain technology, clearer regulatory frameworks support this transition.

Canton's Global Collateral Network connects banks, market makers, and asset managers

Canton’s Global Collateral Network facilitates asset tokenization and mobilization for effective collateral management and settlement among banks, market makers, and asset managers. The network has garnered significant support from major financial organizations like HSBC and BNP Paribas. Its developer, Digital Asset, recently raised $135 million to enhance Canton’s infrastructure and ecosystem.

By integrating with Canton, Franklin Templeton introduces additional compliant, onchain investment products to the growing array of tokenized instruments available on the network. This step further connects traditional finance with the evolving digital asset markets.

Institutions Are Embracing Tokenization

Franklin Templeton is part of a trend among major financial institutions moving towards the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs). Hashgraph CEO Eric Piscini notes that this momentum is partly due to clearer regulations emerging in major markets.

Examples of this shift include BlackRock's tokenized fund initiatives and Citi’s exploration of digital asset custody, along with Franklin Templeton’s Benji platform. Advocates for tokenization argue that transitioning trillions of dollars in RWAs onto the blockchain could provide benefits like faster settlement processes, enhanced transparency, reduced operational costs, and improved liquidity. However, as Pharos CEO Alex Zhang mentioned in a recent Cointelegraph op-ed, creating a compliant and interoperable infrastructure for tokenized finance requires time.

According to industry data, the total value of tokenized real-world assets—excluding stablecoins—has reached approximately $36.6 billion. Institutional investments account for about $3 billion of this total, with tokenized US Treasurys representing roughly $8.4 billion.

The tokenized RWA market has experienced significant expansion this year

This expanding market highlights the increasing traction and acceptance of tokenization in the financial sector, indicating a future where more assets could be traded and managed in a digital format.

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