DigiFT, a regulated digital asset exchange, and Franklin Templeton, a global investment firm with $1.74 trillion in assets under management, have announced a long-term partnership to make the Benji Technology Platform and related tokenization products available to accredited and institutional investors through DigiFT’s platform.
Franklin Templeton launched the first U.S.-registered mutual fund to use blockchain technology for transaction processing and share ownership records in 2021. DigiFT operates under Capital Markets Services and Recognised Market Operator licences from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and also holds Type 1 and Type 4 licences from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Under the agreement, DigiFT will distribute Franklin Templeton’s tokenized products across Asian markets.
DigiFT and Franklin Templeton have formed a long-term strategic partnership to advance institutional tokenization in Asia. Today, it goes live. pic.twitter.com/RlvRusVUA8
— DigiFT (@DigiFTTech) May 20, 2026
Tokenized U.S. treasuries experience fast market growth
The partnership comes as tokenized real-world assets continue to expand. Market size increased from approximately $5.5 billion in 2025 to $18.6 billion, with tokenized U.S. government securities emerging as a leading category among institutional investors.
The growth reflects increased institutional interest in digital financial instruments. Traditional systems often leave capital in non-yielding stablecoins or within settlement cycles that limit efficiency. Tokenized assets are being used to improve liquidity and access to yield-bearing instruments.
Benji technology platform enables blockchain-based settlement
Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform provides blockchain-based recordkeeping and transfer agency services for tokenized investment products. The system supports near-instant on-chain settlement and 24/7 transferability between permissioned wallets.
The platform also enables intraday yield accrual on selected U.S. government securities strategies through its Intraday Yield mechanism. This allows returns to accumulate continuously rather than at fixed intervals.
Regulatory framework supports institutional distribution in Asia
DigiFT’s regulatory approvals in Singapore and Hong Kong allow it to distribute tokenized securities to institutional investors within a compliant framework. These licences include approvals from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.
The partnership is meant to expand institutional access to tokenized financial products across Asian markets, with both firms indicating plans for further collaboration.
Meanwhile, DigiFT partnered with global real estate giant Hines to tokenize access to a $6 billion institutional real estate portfolio, signalling growing momentum behind crypto-powered real-world asset adoption.
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