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Franklin Templeton and Ondo launch tokenized ETFs for 24/7 crypto wallet trading

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Franklin Templeton and Ondo are launching tokenized ETFs that trade 24/7 directly in crypto wallets, giving non-U.S. investors round-the-clock access to U.S. stocks, bonds and gold.

Franklin Templeton is partnering with Ondo Finance to offer tokenized versions of its ETFs tradeable 24/7 directly from crypto wallets, the firm announced on Wednesday in a move that sidesteps the brokerage accounts and fixed trading hours that have defined fund investing for decades. According to Bloomberg, the products span U.S. equities, fixed income, and gold, with an initial rollout targeted at investors in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America.

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Franklin Templeton, which manages more than $1.6 trillion in assets, said the U.S. market launch will depend on further regulatory clarity around how third parties can distribute registered funds on-chain. The asset manager has been steadily building its on-chain infrastructure since 2021, when it launched the world’s first blockchain-integrated U.S.-registered mutual fund, and has since expanded to networks including Stellar, Polygon, and Arbitrum. In a previous crypto.news story, Sandy Kaul, Head of Innovation at Franklin Templeton, stated that tokenized digital wallets will eventually hold the “totality” of an individual’s financial life — a thesis this latest product launch moves materially closer to reality.

Ondo Finance, for its part, brings a distribution network that has scaled rapidly. The platform crossed $2.5 billion in total value locked and surpassed $12 billion in cumulative trading volume since launching in September 2025, listing more than 250 tokenized stocks and ETFs across Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain. A previous crypto.news story detailed how Ondo’s Nexus initiative already expanded tokenized Treasury backing to include Franklin Templeton alongside BlackRock and PayPal.

The choice to prioritize non-U.S. markets first reflects both the regulatory landscape and existing infrastructure. Ondo secured regulatory passporting from Liechtenstein authorities, giving it access to over 30 European Economic Area countries. That framework is already active — in February 2026, Ondo partnered with Blockchain.com to make 200+ tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs available via the Blockchain.com DeFi wallet to eligible EEA users. Binance and MetaMask have also integrated Ondo’s tokenized offerings, with Binance reviving tokenized stock trading through its Alpha program and MetaMask enabling eligible non-U.S. users to access Ondo assets from mobile wallets.

Franklin Templeton’s latest move lands against a backdrop of accelerating institutional tokenization. The tokenized real-world asset market has exceeded $22 billion globally, with tokenized Treasuries alone surpassing $3 billion in total value locked by 2024. CEO Jenny Johnson has stated that 2026 would see increased institutional investment flowing into tokenized vehicles beyond simple Bitcoin holdings.

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The products are designed to give investors outside traditional brokerage ecosystems — particularly in emerging markets — fractional, around-the-clock access to U.S. asset classes that have historically required intermediaries and banking infrastructure. In a previous crypto.news story, Franklin Templeton’s on-chain money market fund on Arbitrum was already laying the groundwork for this kind of multi-chain distribution. Wednesday’s announcement represents the clearest step yet toward making that vision a commercial reality.

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Crypto World

Franklin Templeton, Ondo bring tokenized ETFs to crypto wallets

Published

on

Franklin Templeton, Ondo bring tokenized ETFs to crypto wallets

Franklin Templeton is teaming with Ondo Finance to bring tokenized versions of its exchange-traded funds onchain, allowing investors to access them through crypto wallets.

The partnership opens a new distribution channel beyond brokerage accounts as asset managers experiment with blockchain-based delivery and 24/7 market access. The tie-up was first reported by Bloomberg and later confirmed by Ondo on X.

The products will initially be available across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America, with US access dependent on regulatory clarity.

Source: Ondo Finance

Under the structure, Ondo will purchase shares of Franklin Templeton ETFs and issue tokens through a special-purpose vehicle that transfers economic exposure to holders, Bloomberg reported. Investors receive rights to returns rather than the underlying shares, allowing tokens to be used as collateral or integrated into DeFi applications.

The offering targets investors operating primarily through crypto wallets and stablecoins, bypassing traditional brokerage infrastructure. Liquidity will be provided by Ondo’s market makers, including outside standard trading hours.

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The initial rollout will include five funds spanning US equities, fixed income and gold, with tokens distributed through Ondo Global Markets, according to Bloomberg. Requests for further information from both companies were not immediately answered.

The launch follows increased regulatory clarity for Ondo. In December, the US Securities and Exchange Commission closed a multi-year investigation into the company without bringing charges.

Related: Binance and Franklin Templeton join forces on tokenization ventures

Tokenized equities expand, but US access lags

The move by Ondo Finance and Franklin Templeton comes as tokenized equity markets have expanded rapidly over the past year, with total value rising from roughly $500 million in early 2025 to about $950 million as of March 2026, according to RWA.xyz data.

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Tokenized stocks. Source: RWA.xyz

At the time of writing, Ondo Finance leads the sector, accounting for roughly $562 million in value, or about 60% of the market. Other platforms, including Backed Finance and its xStocks products, as well as Securitize, account for significant but smaller portions of the market.

Source: RWA.xyz

However, as tokenized equity products expand and total value grows, access remains limited, with most offerings concentrated outside the United States.

In February, Kraken introduced tokenized equity perpetual futures on its regulated derivatives platform, offering eligible non-US clients 24/7 leveraged exposure to US stock indexes, gold and companies such as Nvidia, Apple and Tesla.

Last week, Coinbase launched stock perpetual futures for eligible non-US users, extending round-the-clock access to equities alongside crypto and prediction markets.

Still, efforts are underway within the US to build regulated infrastructure for tokenized equities. On Tuesday, the New York Stock Exchange signed an agreement with Securitize to explore blockchain-based trading of stocks and ETFs, though it remains unclear when or how such products would become available to US investors.

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