Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund BENJI from Franklin Resources Inc. - tokenized cash with - Ad-hoc
The Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund, known as BENJI, represents a significant integration of traditional mutual fund structures with public blockchain technology. By tokenizing shares of a fund that invests in U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements, Franklin Resources enables investors to hold and transfer assets via digital wallets rather than traditional account systems. This product maintains a stable one-dollar net asset value, offering yield derived from short-term government paper rather than crypto-native lending protocols. The fund utilizes traditional custody rails for the underlying assets while recording ownership on a public blockchain to facilitate near-real-time settlement. Strategic partnerships with firms like SCRYPT and Cap demonstrate the growing utility of BENJI as a treasury management tool for digital-asset platforms. While the fund offers modern plumbing for familiar risk, adoption remains primarily focused on crypto-native firms due to the operational requirements of managing private keys and on-chain compliance. Ultimately, BENJI serves as a flagship experiment for Franklin Resources to bridge the gap between legacy asset management and the evolving digital infrastructure of the financial sector.
