Franklin Templeton, one of the world's largest asset managers with $1.6 trillion in assets under management, has expanded its Benji Technology Platform to BNB Chain. This integration allows the firm to leverage BNB Chain's low-cost, compliance-ready infrastructure to broaden the availability of its tokenized investment products, according to a press release.
The Benji platform administers shares in Franklin Templeton's OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (FOBXX), which debuted on Stellar in 2021 and has grown to $732 million in assets with 938 holders across eight blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche. Roger Bayston, head of digital assets at Franklin Templeton, stated, "Our goal is to meet more investors where they're active. Together, Franklin Templeton and BNB Chain will work to deliver tokenized assets with greater utility."
BNB Chain, which launched in 2020 as Binance Smart Chain, currently hosts $12.5 billion in stablecoins and recorded 2.27 million active addresses recently. BNB's price surged to an all-time high of $1,079 on Sunday, reflecting a 58% increase over the past year. The expansion follows a separate partnership announcement between Franklin Templeton and Binance to develop digital asset products tailored for a broad investor base, with more details expected later this year.
This move underscores the growing trend of tokenization in traditional finance, with the real-world asset (RWA) market projected to reach $30 trillion by 2030. BNB Chain already hosts over $540 million in tokenized RWAs, positioning it as a key player in institutional-grade blockchain adoption.