Editor’s note: In this era of digital finance, institutional collaboration between traditional asset managers and crypto exchanges is reshaping markets. The collaboration between Franklin Templeton and Binance demonstrates a practical path to bridge regulated money market products with 24/7 digital markets, using tokenized assets as collateral while preserving custody and risk controls. This editorial snapshot previews how off-exchange collateral programs can improve capital efficiency for institutions without moving assets onto exchanges.

Key points

Off-exchange collateral using Benji tokenized money market fund shares now live on Binance.
Custody by Ceffu minimizes counterparty risk for institutions.
Enables yield-bearing assets to be used for trading without on-exchange parking.
Expands Franklin Templeton and Binance’s networks of off-exchange program partners.

Why this matters

This collaboration signals growing institutional adoption of tokenized real-world assets, improving capital efficiency and risk controls in crypto markets. By tokenizing money market funds and maintaining custody off-exchange, institutions can participate in 24/7 trading with regulated protections, potentially broadening the set of assets available for collateral and fueling more stable liquidity in digital markets.

What to watch next

Broader rollout to additional institutional clients.
Addition of more tokenized Benji funds.
Deeper custody and settlement integrations with Ceffu.
Ongoing collaboration expansion across networks since the 2025 announcement.

Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company/PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.

Franklin Templeton and Binance Advance Strategic Collaboration with Institutional Off-Exchange Collateral Program

Institutions can now use Benji-issued tokenized money market funds as off-exchange collateral to trade on Binance using Ceffu’s custody layer.

SAN MATEO, CA, and ABU DHABI, UAE, February 19, 2026 — Franklin Templeton, a global investment leader, and Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and users, today announced a new institutional off-exchange collateral program, making digital markets more secure and capital-efficient. Now live, eligible clients can use tokenized money market fund shares issued through Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform as off-exchange collateral when trading on Binance.

The program alleviates a long-standing pain point for institutional traders by allowing them to use traditional regulated, yield-bearing money market fund assets in digital markets without parking those assets on an exchange. Instead, the value of Benji-issued fund shares is mirrored within Binance’s trading environment, while the tokenized assets themselves remain securely held off-exchange in regulated custody. This reduces counterparty risk, letting institutional participants earn yield and support their trading activity without hedging on custody, liquidity, or regulatory protections.

“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.”

“Partnering with Franklin Templeton to offer tokenized real-world assets for off-exchange collateral settlement is a natural next step in our mission to bring digital assets and traditional finance closer together,” said Catherine Chen, Head of VIP & Institutional at Binance. “Innovating ways to use traditional financial instruments on-chain opens up new opportunities for investors and shows just how blockchain technology can make markets more efficient.”

Assets participating in the program remain held off-exchange in a regulated custody environment, with tokenized money market fund shares pledged as collateral for trading on Binance. Custody and settlement infrastructure is supported by Ceffu, Binance’s institutional crypto-native custody partner.

“Institutions increasingly require trading models that prioritize risk management without sacrificing capital efficiency,” said Ian Loh, CEO of Ceffu. “This program demonstrates how off-exchange collateral can support institutional participation in digital markets while maintaining strong custody and control.”

Launching the institutional off-exchange collateral program expands on both Franklin Templeton’s and Binance’s growing networks of off-exchange program partners and represents another effort since announcing Franklin Templeton and Binance’s strategic collaboration in September 2025.

By using Benji to bridge tokenized money market funds, Franklin Templeton is taking trusted investment products and making them work in modern markets—allowing institutions to trade, manage risk, and move capital more efficiently as digital finance becomes an everyday part of the financial system.

Offering more tokenized real-world assets on Binance meets the increasing institutional demand for stable, yield-bearing collateral that can settle 24/7. This gives investors greater choice and enhances their trading experience on the world’s largest regulated digital asset exchange.

Franklin Templeton is a pioneer in digital asset investing and blockchain innovation, combining tokenomics research, data science, and technical expertise to deliver cutting-edge solutions since 2018. Learn more at http://franklintempleton.com/investments/asset-class/digital-assets.

About Binance

Binance is a leading global blockchain ecosystem behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and registered users. Binance is trusted by more than 300 million people in 100+ countries for its industry-leading security, transparency, trading engine speed, protections for investors, and unmatched portfolio of digital asset products and offerings from trading and finance to education, research, social good, payments, institutional services, and Web3 features. Binance is devoted to building an inclusive crypto ecosystem to increase the freedom of money and financial access for people around the world with crypto as the fundamental means.

For more information, visit https://www.binance.com.

About Ceffu

Ceffu is a compliant, institutional-grade custody platform offering custody and liquidity solutions that are ISO 27001 & 27701 certified and SOC2 Type 2 attested. Our multi-party computation (MPC) technology, combined with a customizable multi-approval scheme, provides bespoke solutions allowing institutional clients to safely store and manage their virtual assets.

For the purposes of this program, custody services for Benji-issued tokenized money market fund shares are provided by Ceffu Custody FZE, a virtual asset custodian licensed and supervised in Dubai.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Templeton is a trusted investment partner, delivering tailored solutions that align with clients’ strategic goals. With deep portfolio management expertise across public and private markets, we combine investment excellence with cutting-edge technology. Since our founding in 1947, we have empowered clients through strategic partnerships, forward-looking insights, and continuous innovations – providing the tools and resources to navigate change and capture opportunity.

With more than $1.7 trillion in assets under management as of January 31, 2026, Franklin Templeton operates globally in more than 35 countries.

To learn more, visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE: BEN]

All investments, including money funds, involve risk, including loss of principal. There are risks associated with the issuance, redemption, transfer, custody, and record keeping of shares maintained and recorded primarily on a blockchain. For example, shares that are issued using blockchain technology would be subject to risks, including the following: blockchain is a rapidly-evolving regulatory landscape, which might result in security, privacy or other regulatory concerns that could require changes to the way transactions in the shares are recorded.

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