Franklin Templeton’s Benji Platform Plugs Into BNB Chain to Scale Tokenized Funds

Franklin Templeton is planting its Benji Technology Platform on the BNB Chain, widening its tokenization footprint to reach everyday investors and institutions.

Benji Platform Migrates to BNB Chain

Franklin Templeton, which manages $1.6 trillion, says the integration taps BNB Chain’s low-cost rails and finality to deliver tokenized financial products. Benji, its blockchain-integrated stack, handles trading, management, and administration for token-based investments, linking onchain plumbing to familiar operations.

The company says it launched the first U.S.-registered mutual fund to use blockchain for transactions and share records in 2021, then rolled out onchain products across retail, wealth, institutional, and banking use cases. The move to BNB Chain is pitched as access: go where users are, without sacrificing controls.

“Our goal is to meet more investors where they’re active, while pushing the boundaries of tokenization with security and compliance at the forefront,” Roger Bayston, head of digital assets at Franklin Templeton, remarked.

Bayston added:

“Together, Franklin Templeton and BNB Chain will work to deliver tokenized assets with greater utility.”

BNB Chain bills itself as a venue for real-world assets (RWAs), from money market funds to credit instruments and public equities. Its pitch centers on fast settlement, low fees, and data tooling for issuers needing auditability. For Franklin Templeton, the mix aims to streamline distribution while keeping risk teams comfortable.

“ BNB Chain has a purpose-built environment issuers can’t find elsewhere,” said Sarah Song, head of business development at BNB Chain, arguing the tie-up shows the network can shoulder regulated products at scale. For tokenization’s advocates, it’s a step toward fund rails that click like apps.

At press time on Wednesday, Sept. 24, the native token BNB is coasting along at $1,016 per coin, up 18% against the greenback this month. The crypto asset tapped $1,079 per BNB three days ago on Sept. 21, and it’s now a bit more than 5% lower the all-time price high.