Franklin Templeton and HashKey Bring $15B Tokenized Money Fund to Asia

Key Takeaways

  • Franklin Templeton launches the grBENJI tokenized fund on HashKey Exchange in Asia.

  • The launch grants eligible investors access to regulated U.S. Treasury-backed money market yields.

  • Tokenized U.S. Treasuries hit $15.6B, solidifying their position as a dominant RWA asset class.

Franklin Templeton and HashKey Bring $15B Tokenized Money Fund to Asia

Franklin Templeton and HashKey Exchange on August 24, 2026, announced a partnership to bring the grBENJI tokenized money-market fund to HashKey’s Earn channel in Asia, expanding access for eligible and professional investors. The agreement comes as tokenized U.S. Treasuries have become one of the largest segments of the RWA market, totaling around $15.6 billion.

HashKey Opens Asia Access

The listing of grBENJI on the HashKey Earn Channel marks a new expansion for Franklin Templeton in Asia for its tokenized money market fund lineup, one of the most prominent product suites in the real-world assets market. According to an August 24 announcement, grBENJI is now available on the HashKey Exchange Earn Channel, allowing eligible digital asset investors to access a fund that primarily invests in U.S. government money market instruments and USD cash assets.

 

HashKey Exchange is a licensed digital asset platform in Hong Kong that received a license to operate a virtual asset trading platform under the AMLO framework in May 2024, alongside Type 1 and Type 7 licenses from the Securities and Futures Commission. For Franklin Templeton, this partner opens up a distribution channel tailored to investors familiar with crypto infrastructure who still require the structure and compliance standards of traditional finance.

Franklin Templeton currently manages approximately $1.8 trillion in assets as of July 31, 2026, and has developed the BENJI ecosystem over several years to bring fund shares onto the blockchain. Therefore, introducing grBENJI through HashKey is not merely a new product listing, but an expansion of distribution in Asia for the asset manager’s tokenized fund strategy.

What grBENJI Offers

grBENJI is a tokenized share class of the Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Liquidity Fund, an investment fund that primarily invests in U.S. government-related money market instruments and USD cash assets. According to Franklin Templeton, blockchain is used to facilitate the recording and distribution of fund shares, while the fund’s investment portfolio remains in traditional money market assets.

Unlike stablecoins, grBENJI represents an ownership stake in an investment fund and is subject to the distribution terms, redemption conditions, and risk factors of a fund product. The product also differs from “crypto yield” programs in that its yield comes from the fund’s money market portfolio rather than digital asset lending or staking activities.

According to data from Franklin Templeton Luxembourg, the grBENJI share class had total net assets of approximately $54.72 million as of July 31, 2026, a minimum investment of $20, and a 7-day net yield of 3.54% as of August 7, 2026. These figures place grBENJI in its specific product size, whereas the $15.6 billion threshold reflects the broader tokenized U.S. Treasury debt market, not grBENJI’s individual AUM.

Asia’s Role in the $15B Market

Tokenized U.S. Treasuries are currently one of the largest segments of the real-world assets market. According to RWA.xyz, tokenized U.S. Treasury funds reached approximately $15.64 billion in distributed value as of August 24, 2026, while the entire tokenized RWA market stood at around $38.2 billion.

Asia is becoming a key distribution market for these products as Hong Kong and Singapore continue to push tokenization forward within regulated financial frameworks. In Hong Kong, initiatives around tokenized deposits, settlement, and fund tokenization are taking place alongside the licensing framework for digital asset platforms. Singapore is also where many financial institutions are experimenting with tokenized fund products for eligible investors.

The availability of grBENJI on the HashKey Earn Channel shows that licensed digital asset exchanges are seeking to expand beyond crypto spot trading into tokenized traditional financial products. For Franklin Templeton, this channel helps reach professional investors in Asia while keeping the product within controlled distribution boundaries.

Demand for tokenized money market funds does not solely come from USD yields. These products are also being monitored by institutions as on-chain cash management tools, high-quality collateral, or an asset class that can be integrated into licensed digital financial systems.

Regulatory Limits and Next Steps

Despite being distributed via blockchain infrastructure, grBENJI remains a fund product with restricted offering terms. HashKey stated that the product is intended for eligible or professional investors, not as a public offering for retail investors in Hong Kong. Certain jurisdictions, including Mainland China and the U.S., also fall outside HashKey Exchange’s service scope.

Money market funds are generally viewed as a much lower-risk product group than many crypto assets, but yields can fluctuate with USD interest rates, NAV is not unconditionally guaranteed, and liquidity depends on fund terms as well as distribution channels.

Franklin Templeton and HashKey stated that both sides will continue to explore additional tokenized products following grBENJI, amid traditional asset managers testing further RWA distribution channels in Asia.

Olivia Chen

Olivia Chen

As a graduate of journalism and a crypto enthusiast, Olivia Chen has been writing in this field for almost 7 years now. She specialized in breaking news about cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin. Her sharp eye for detail and quick wit ensure our readers are always up-to-date with the real-time events of the always-changing market.

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