Dubai – September 28, 2026 -- Bybit and Franklin Templeton, a $1.7 trillion asset manager, have launched a collateral program letting institutional clients pledge tokenized money market fund shares to access trading credit on Bybit's exchange.
Institutional clients can now pledge Benji-issued fund shares for USDT or USDC credit lines
Eligible investors use ByCustody, Bybit's institutional custody platform, to pledge shares issued through Franklin Templeton's Benji Technology Platform, a blockchain-integrated recordkeeping and transfer agency infrastructure. The pledged value is mirrored inside Bybit's trading environment while the underlying assets stay off-exchange in custody, allowing clients to continue earning yield on holdings while using them to support trading activity.
Off-exchange structure aims to cut counterparty exposure and improve capital efficiency
Yoyee Wang, Global Head of RWA and TradFi at Bybit, said the program expands the range of high-quality collateral available through the exchange's off-exchange infrastructure, giving institutional clients access to regulated, yield-bearing collateral without moving assets onto the exchange itself.
Wallet-based investors to gain access to Franklin Templeton strategies via Mantle chain
The collaboration extends beyond institutional infrastructure to a tokenized wealth product on the Bybit exchange and the Mantle blockchain, providing wallet-based retail investors access to Franklin Templeton investment strategies. Bybit and Mantle plan to release further details on this product separately.
Digital education programs to target retail investors on goals-based investing
Franklin Templeton and Bybit will jointly release digital content and education initiatives aimed at helping wallet-based retail investors understand traditional investment concepts, including goals-based investing and portfolio diversification.
Sandy Kaul, Head of Digital Assets and Innovation at Franklin Templeton, said extending Benji Technology Platform connectivity to Bybit gives institutions a venue to deploy regulated, yield-bearing assets in digital markets.
Bybit serves more than 80 million users worldwide. The companies describe the current initiatives as the first phase of a broader collaboration linking regulated investment management with on-chain trading infrastructure.