Franklin Templeton and Binance Launch Tokenized Collateral Program

Asset manager Franklin Templeton, which oversees about $1.6 trillion in assets, and Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by daily trading volume, have launched a new program that allows institutions to use tokenized money market funds (MMFs) as collateral when trading on Binance.

Under the collaboration, eligible clients can use tokenized fund shares issued through Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform as collateral, according to a press release viewed by The Defiant. Benji is Franklin Templeton’s proprietary blockchain-based technology stack.

The release said the assets stay off the exchange in regulated custody, while their value is “mirrored” inside Binance’s trading system. Custody and settlement are handled through Ceffu, Binance’s institutional custody partner.

The setup is meant to reduce risk for institutions while allowing them to keep earning yield on their assets. The move highlights a larger trend of firms offering yield as a way to stay competitive – especially as more financial activity moves on-chain.

“Since partnering in 2025, our work with Binance has focused on making digital finance actually work for institutions,” said Roger Bayston, Head of Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton. “Our off-exchange collateral program is just that: letting clients easily put their assets to work in regulated custody while safely earning yield in new ways. That’s the future Benji was designed for, and working with partners like Binance allows us to deliver it at scale.”

The launch follows Franklin Templeton’s broader push to bring MMFs into blockchain-based finance while remaining fully regulated. Earlier this year, the firm updated two institutional funds to support stablecoin reserves and enable distribution via blockchain systems.

It also builds on the expansion of the Benji platform across public blockchains. In September 2025, Franklin Templeton rolled out Benji on BNB Chain, joining existing deployments on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Solana, and Stellar.

Binance’s native token BNB is down about 2.5% on the day, changing hands at $622, according to CoinGecko.