International asset supervisor Franklin Templeton is deepening its involvement in Bitcoin’s evolving ecosystem by investing in decentralized finance (DeFi) tasks that improve Bitcoin’s utility with out undermining its core narrative as a retailer of worth.
Strategic Funding in Bitlayer
In July 2024, Franklin Templeton led an $11 million Sequence A funding spherical for Bitlayer, a Bitcoin Layer-2 protocol designed to introduce sensible contract capabilities and DeFi functionalities to the Bitcoin community. Bitlayer’s expertise is predicated on the BitVM paradigm, aiming to attain Turing completeness on Bitcoin with out compromising its safety. Kevin Farrelly, Managing Principal at Franklin Templeton Digital Belongings, said that Bitlayer’s strategy has the potential to unlock new use circumstances and alternatives for Bitcoin.CoinDesk+4CryptoRank+4CoinDesk+4CoinDesk
Embracing Bitcoin DeFi With out Diluting Its Core Narrative
On the Token2049 convention in Dubai, Farrelly emphasised that increasing Bitcoin’s utility via DeFi doesn’t dilute its core narrative. He argued that integrating DeFi functionalities enhances Bitcoin’s enchantment to technically refined traders looking for yield, safety, and portfolio customization, thereby constructing upon its position as a retailer of worth somewhat than changing it. “These customers aren’t changing the ‘retailer of worth’ thesis; they’re constructing on it,” Farrelly added. CoinDesk
Broader Engagement with the DeFi Ecosystem
Past Bitcoin, Franklin Templeton can be participating with different blockchain platforms to foster DeFi innovation. In November 2024, the agency introduced a strategic partnership with the Sui blockchain, specializing in supporting ecosystem builders and deploying novel applied sciences leveraging the Sui blockchain protocol. This collaboration goals to discover numerous alternatives inside the digital asset area.Coinspeaker+1The Coin Republic+1markets.businessinsider.com+4The Sui Blog+4The Sui Blog+4
These initiatives underscore Franklin Templeton’s proactive strategy to integrating conventional finance with rising decentralized applied sciences, aiming to supply traders enhanced utility and entry inside the evolving digital asset panorama.
Who Is Franklin Templeton?
Franklin Templeton is without doubt one of the world’s largest and most established asset administration corporations, with over $1.6 trillion in property below administration as of early 2025. Based in 1947 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, the agency presents a variety of funding options throughout mutual funds, ETFs, personal fairness, digital property, and different investments.
The corporate is known as after Benjamin Franklin—whose picture as soon as appeared on the duvet of its early brochures—and has grown via each natural growth and main acquisitions, such because the $4.5 billion buy of Legg Mason in 2020. With a presence in over 30 international locations, Franklin Templeton serves retail traders, monetary advisors, and institutional shoppers worldwide.
Lately, the agency has demonstrated a forward-looking technique by embracing blockchain applied sciences, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Its Franklin Templeton Digital Belongings division is devoted to figuring out alternatives within the crypto ecosystem, positioning the agency as a bridge between conventional finance and Web3 innovation.
By backing Bitcoin-native DeFi tasks, Franklin Templeton is not only experimenting—it’s signaling institutional validation of crypto past Ethereum and sensible contract platforms.