Franklin Templeton Launches Tokenized U.S. Money Fund in Hong Kong Under Fintech 2030
Franklin Templeton Launches Tokenized U.S. Money Fund in Hong Kong
In partnership with HSBC and OSL, the global asset manager ushers Hong Kong into its Fintech 2030 era — bridging traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure.
⚡ Quick Facts
- 🏦 Issuer: Franklin Templeton
- 🇭🇰 Jurisdiction: Approved by Hong Kong’s SFC under Fintech 2030 strategy
- 💡 Partners: HSBC (custody) & OSL (distribution + blockchain infrastructure)
- 💰 Asset Type: Tokenized U.S. Government Money Market Fund
- 🌐 Technology: Franklin’s proprietary Benji Technology framework
🪙 Fintech 2030 Meets Blockchain Reality
Franklin Templeton’s Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund — the first tokenized money-market fund approved in Hong Kong — officially launches under the city’s Fintech 2030 Vision, merging institutional finance with blockchain infrastructure.
The fund tokenizes ownership shares in a U.S. government-debt vehicle, fully recorded and settled on-chain through Benji Technology, which embeds compliance, operations, and real-time ownership tracking directly in the ledger.
“This aligns with our mission to democratize access to investment solutions and foster a vibrant digital-asset ecosystem,” — Tariq Ahmad, Head of Asia-Pacific, Franklin Templeton
🤝 HSBC and OSL Bridge TradFi and Web3
The collaboration anchors Hong Kong’s institutional tokenization stack:
- HSBC ensures custody & settlement under traditional regulatory standards.
- OSL, the city’s first licensed digital-asset exchange, powers tokenized product distribution.
“Hong Kong is becoming an institutionally trusted hub for digital assets,” said Brian Chen, Head of OSL Wealth Management. “This partnership with Franklin Templeton moves us closer to full-scale digital-asset integration.”
Franklin Templeton’s blockchain record speaks for itself:
- 2021: First U.S.-registered mutual fund on chain.
- 2024: Fully tokenized UCITS fund in Luxembourg.
- 2025: Retail tokenized fund in Singapore.
The Hong Kong fund cements Benji as a white-label tokenization engine for banks and asset managers — enabling instant settlement, on-chain compliance, and real-time NAV tracking.
🌍 Tokenization: The $19 Trillion Opportunity
A 2025 Ripple–BCG report projects real-world asset (RWA) tokenization to hit $19 trillion by 2033, driven by transparency, efficiency, and fractional access.
Recent institutional moves reinforce the shift:
- ChinaAMC rolled out a digital money-market fund (Feb 2025).
- UBS, Chainlink & DigiFT tested automated fund tokenization (Sept 2025).
- HKMA Project Ensemble is building a wholesale CBDC for tokenized asset settlement.
These developments confirm that tokenization has evolved from an experiment into a structural transformation in global finance.
🇭🇰 Hong Kong’s Digital Pivot
Beyond pilots, the HKMA is pushing full-scale digitization:
- Tokenized government bonds and Exchange Fund papers
- Exploration of an e-HKD stablecoin
- Cross-border CBDC links with partner economies
By drawing global players like Franklin Templeton, Hong Kong positions itself as Asia’s regulatory-first tokenization hub, competing with Singapore and Dubai.
Its ambition: to connect capital markets and programmable finance — where funds, bonds and payments share interoperable digital rails.
🧩 From Pilot to Policy
Franklin Templeton’s tokenized fund marks the institutionalization of tokenization — a blueprint for how regulated blockchain finance will scale globally.
If RWAs reach $19 trillion by 2033, Hong Kong’s early lead could yield exponential dividends — both financially and geopolitically.
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