Asset management firm Franklin Templeton has enabled the peer-to-peer transfers of tokenized shares in its on-chain U.S. Government Money Fund.

With each share represented by the BENJI token on the Polygon and Stellar blockchains, Franklin Templeton leads the tokenized U.S. Treasuries niche. Its 32% market share represents $384 million in assets, according to data compiled by asset management firm 21.co, the parent company of bitcoin exchange-traded fund provider 21Shares.

“We are excited that BENJI token holders will have the ability to transfer shares amongst each other,” Franklin Templeton Head of Digital Assets Roger Bayston said in a statement. “Eventually, we hope for assets built on blockchain rails, such as the Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund, to work seamlessly with the rest of the digital asset ecosystem.”

Franklin Templeton was the first U.S.-registered fund to use a public blockchain to process transactions and record share ownership, launching in 2021. Total assets under management in tokenized government securities currently stand at around $1.2 billion.

Market Landscape of Tokenized Government Securities by Product. Image: 21.co/Dune Analytics.

Competition from BlackRock's BUIDL

However, Franklin Templeton's U.S. Government Money Fund has recently come under stiff competition from BlackRock’s new BUIDL fund, tokenized in collaboration with Securitize on Ethereum. BUIDL has grown to capture 25% of the market just a month after its launch, managing $304 million in assets, eating into Franklin Templeton’s lead. 

Franklin Templeton's fund is designed to offer a competitive return by primarily investing in government securities and related instruments and seeks to maintain a stable $1 share price. Investors can access the fund via the Benji Investments Android and iOS app, the firm said.

Franklin Templeton also operates one of the recently launched U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs, EZBC, attracting nearly $334 million in assets under management, according to The Block’s data dashboard.