BeInCrypto 100 Institutional Awards Nomination: Franklin Templeton for Best Digital Asset Manager

Digital asset management is moving beyond simple Bitcoin exposure. The first wave was about giving institutions regulated access to crypto. The next phase is about building full digital asset platforms inside major asset managers. Franklin Templeton has been building toward that shift for years. The firm is nominated for Best Digital Asset Manager at the BeInCrypto Institutional 100 Awards 2026. FoundedFirm AUMDigital Assets AUMTokenized Funds AUMCrypto ETFs AUMBlockchains1947$1.7T+$2.1B$1.4B$0.7B9+ Franklin Templeton Digital Asset Management Snapshot The nomination centers on the launch of Franklin Crypto, a dedicated cryptocurrency division announced on April 1, 2026. Franklin Templeton created the unit through its planned acquisition of 250 Digital, an active cryptocurrency investment management firm spun out of CoinFund. The acquisition includes the 250 Digital investment team and liquid crypto strategies previously run by CoinFund. JUST IN: Franklin Templeton is acquiring a crypto spinoff from CoinFund. The $1.7T manager is moving deeper into digital assets to capture institutional flow. pic.twitter.com/I05NXPF3xn— BeInCrypto (@beincrypto) April 1, 2026 Franklin Crypto gives the firm a dedicated active management arm for digital assets. It moves the business beyond passive ETF exposure and tokenized money market products into professionally managed liquid crypto strategies. Franklin Templeton said its Digital Assets business managed approximately $1.8 billion in global assets as of December 31, 2025. Its latest Q2 2026 investor update puts digital assets AUM at $2.1 billion, including $1.4 billion in tokenized funds and $0.7 billion in crypto ETFs. From Bitcoin ETFs to Active Crypto Management Franklin Templeton was already part of the first US spot Bitcoin ETF cohort. It’s the Franklin Bitcoin ETF, EZBC, launched on January 11, 2024, and seeks to reflect the performance of Bitcoin before fund expenses. The ETF trades on Cboe and carries a 0.19% sponsor fee....