CoinDesk
Franklin Templeton, the $1.7 trillion asset manager, has closed its acquisition of active crypto investment manager 250 Digital and folded the team into a new corporate division called Franklin Crypto. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal had been telegraphed in April alongside the firm's broader digital-assets push, including a proposed ETF that converts corporate dividends into bitcoin.
The new unit absorbs the entire 250 Digital investment team and the liquid cryptocurrency strategies it previously ran under the CoinFund umbrella, combined with Franklin Templeton's global distribution. As part of the closing, Franklin Templeton will deploy its own capital into those liquid strategies, a notable signal that the firm is willing to back the book with balance-sheet exposure rather than just collect fees.
Crypto industry veterans Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns will co-lead Franklin Crypto. Perkins takes the head-of-division and chief investment officer roles, while Ginns joins as co-lead alongside him.
Why it matters
Franklin Templeton is the latest traditional asset manager to convert a strategic intent into an operational unit with dedicated personnel, capital and product. It follows BlackRock's spot BTC ETF debut and Fidelity's expanding digital-assets footprint, but the active-management angle is the differentiator: most institutional crypto exposure to date has been passive, through index or ETF wrappers. Franklin Crypto is being built to run discretionary strategies, which implies the firm sees durable alpha in the asset class rather than a beta-only thesis.
Market impact
The launch lands against a softer tape. Combined spot exchange volumes fell 3.45% in May to $4.41 trillion, the lowest monthly print since September 2024, even as RWA perpetual futures volumes bucked the trend with a 10.4% jump to a new all-time high. The split matters for a Franklin Crypto launch: the firm is stepping up active crypto allocation at exactly the moment derivatives-driven RWA trading is decoupling from spot weakness, and its own-capital commitment signals the conviction is balance-sheet backed, not just marketing.
Frequently asked questions
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What did Franklin Templeton actually announce?
Franklin Templeton closed its acquisition of active crypto investment manager 250 Digital and folded the team into a new corporate division called Franklin Crypto, dedicated to actively managed cryptocurrency strategies for institutional investors.
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Who is running Franklin Crypto?
Crypto industry veterans Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns will co-lead the division. Perkins serves as head of Franklin Crypto and chief investment officer, with Ginns joining as co-lead alongside him.
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How much did Franklin Templeton pay for 250 Digital?
Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition was first announced in April, with the closing and formal launch of Franklin Crypto confirmed in the latest statement.
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Is Franklin Templeton putting its own capital into crypto strategies?
Yes. As part of the closing agreement, Franklin Templeton will deploy its own capital into the liquid cryptocurrency strategies run by the former 250 Digital team, alongside the unit's institutional client business.
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What is the broader market context for this launch?
Combined spot exchange volumes fell 3.45% in May to $4.41T, the lowest since September 2024, while RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% to a new all-time high, suggesting derivatives-based RWA trading is decoupling from spot weakness.
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