Blockchain Private Equity Fund Franklin Templeton’s Latest Crypto Ambition

An SEC filing on Wednesday for a Franklin Templeton blockchain private equity fund appears to be the asset manager’s latest move into crypto

article-image

BalkansCat/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

In its latest foray into the cryptocurrency industry, asset management giant Franklin Templeton is exploring the world of blockchain private equity.

An SEC filing on Tuesday registered the Franklin Templeton Blockchain Fund II with the US financial regulator — one key indicator that the firm is looking to raise institutional capital for the new commingled vehicle. 

Franklin Templeton representatives designated the vehicle as a private equity fund with the SEC. This is a separate categorization from a liquid cryptocurrency hedge fund setup, for instance. The private equity fund also differs from a blockchain-focused venture capital vehicle, which the asset manager previously established in the fourth quarter of 2021.

A spokesperson for Franklin Templeton declined to comment on Wednesday, citing private placement regulations. 

This is the latest move into institutional crypto products by the firm’s institutional investment arm. Its crypto separately managed account (SMA) push started taking shape in the fourth quarter of 2022. 

Franklin Templeton, which oversees some $1.4 trillion in assets under management, has also gotten involved in other crypto-related products, including its money-market fund that taps the Stellar blockchain’s tech stack. More recently, the asset manager moved to tokenize one of its funds on Polygon, The Defiant reported

Specific strategy details and fundraising aspirations of the private equity-focused Franklin Templeton Blockchain Fund II remain under wraps. However, the SEC filing indicates that the vehicle imposes a $100,000 minimum on its investors. 

Interest in industry private equity plays more broadly appears to be holding strong on the heels of a number of substantial new raises earlier this year

Generally speaking, limited partners in private equity investments often exceed minimum investment amounts in their contributions. However, the six-figure minimum investment for Franklin Templeton Blockchain Fund II is relatively modest compared to traditional asset classes in conventional private equity.

That said, cryptocurrency market capitalizations and related private investment opportunities point to opportunities to deploy relatively small sums of capital for potentially outsized returns, industry participants say. 

Franklin Templeton’s fund, according to the filing, is not intended to remain open for longer than a 12 month period. 

It comes as crypto markets, on the whole, have continued to mark a 2023 upswing.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template.png

Research

The march toward an interoperable and onchain-by-default internet depends on reliable messaging and value transfer across heterogeneous domains. Crosschain protocols now process >$1.3T in combined annual transfer volume and secure tens of millions of user interactions, yet no single design dominates.

article-image

The goal, per Santiago Santos, is to make crypto a relatable piece of tech for people who may not even understand it

article-image

Stripe stablecoin unit aims to operate under a federal charter enabling regulated stablecoin issuance and custody services

by Blockworks /
article-image

Will TradFi make crypto better or create more problems than it solves?

article-image

Subtle decisions by risk curators saved Aave from significant turmoil

article-image

The new Rootstock Institutional unit aims to connect professional investors to Bitcoin-native yield and liquidity strategies anchored in BTC’s security layer

by Blockworks /
article-image

DOJ files record civil forfeiture against more than 127,000 BTC linked to scam activity

by Blockworks /