The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has approved Franklin Templeton’s Franklin Onchain U.S. Dollar Short-Term Money Market Fund as an authorised scheme, paving the way for the country’s first tokenized retail fund.
Developed in collaboration with DBS Bank, the fund is initially available to DBS wealth clients and accredited investors through the bank’s relationship managers, with retail access expected in the first quarter of 2026.
Investors can participate with a minimum investment of US$20.
The fund mirrors the strategy of the Luxembourg-domiciled FTIF Franklin U.S. Dollar Short-Term Money Market Fund, which has delivered over three decades of performance.
It uses Franklin Templeton’s proprietary Benji Technology Platform to record ownership on blockchain, enabling real-time transparency, daily yield accrual, improved liquidity, and secure tracking of investor holdings.
Franklin Templeton said the initiative builds on its longstanding work in blockchain-enabled finance, following the launch of the world’s first U.S.-registered mutual fund using blockchain in 2021 and a fully tokenised UCITS fund in Luxembourg in 2024.
The firm is also an active participant in MAS’s Project Guardian, a public–private initiative advancing tokenisation use cases in capital markets.
The collaboration combines DBS’s digital infrastructure and local reach with Franklin Templeton’s experience in tokenised assets to expand investor access and support Singapore’s growing digital asset ecosystem.
Tariq Ahmad, Head of APAC, Franklin Templeton said,
“As investor interest in tokenised funds and digital assets continues to accelerate, we are excited to collaborate with DBS, Singapore’s largest bank, to bring this tokenised fund to the retail market.
This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to digital innovation and underscores our commitment to empowering investors with secure, transparent and cutting-edge investment solutions.”
James Tan, Group Head of Investment Products & Advisory, DBS Bank, said,
“Tokenisation is reshaping the way people invest, and we want to make sure these benefits extend beyond institutional investors.
By availing Singapore’s first tokenised retail fund to our customers, at a minimum investment sum of just US$20, we are making it simpler and more convenient for them to start investing and build resilience through market cycles.”
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by mangpor2004 via Freepik
