xStocks to Tokenize Seven Franklin Templeton ETFs, Bringing Institutional-Grade Assets Onchain

We’re excited to announce that a suite of Franklin Templeton ETFs will soon be available as tokenized assets on xStocks, bringing best-in-class exposure to a range of new U.S. equities, gold, senior loans, and income strategies directly onchain.

This milestone forms part of a broader strategic collaboration between Payward, the developer of the xStocks framework, and Franklin Templeton, a global investment manager and leader in digital asset innovation. The collaboration spans qualified custody and collateral support for BENJI, tokenized yield product development, and direct access to  institutional liquidity — with ETF tokenization representing one of the first and most tangible outcomes.

To mark the announcement, xStocks will airdrop a tokenized version of Franklin Templeton’s  Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDLx) to attendees of the Bermuda Finance Forum on May 12, where the collaboration will be formally unveiled. This gives participants a first hands-on experience with tokenized Franklin Templeton exposure from day one.

In the coming weeks, xStocks will complete the rollout of seven Franklin Templeton ETFs, including:

• FGDLx - Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF
• IQMx - Franklin Intelligent Machines ETF
• USPXx - Franklin US Equity Index ETF
• FLQMx - Franklin US Mid Cap Multifactor Index ETF
• FSMLx - Franklin Small Cap Enhanced ETF
• FLBLx - Franklin Senior Loan ETF
• YLDEx - Franklin ClearBridge Enhanced Income ETF

"Franklin Templeton has spent decades earning the trust of institutional investors. Bringing their ETFs onchain through xStocks means that trust doesn't have to stay locked in traditional rails anymore — it becomes programmable, portable, and composable,” said Val Gui, General Manager of xStocks. “This is what institutional-grade tokenization should look like."

xStocks has rapidly established itself as the largest provider of tokenized equities, processing over $30 billion in transaction volume since launching in 2025. With over 100 tokenized stocks and ETFs, the framework is built to be multi-chain and interoperable, enabling seamless movement across centralized exchanges, self-custody wallets, and onchain protocols. Tokenizing Franklin Templeton’s ETFs does not change the underlying assets — it expands their utility. As onchain instruments, they can be held, transferred, used as collateral, or integrated into DeFi applications with the same flexibility as any digital asset.

For investors already operating onchain, this removes a key limitation. Accessing diversified exposure across equities, gold, and fixed income has traditionally required leaving the blockchain environment. With xStocks, that boundary continues to disappear.

The full suite of tokenized Franklin Templeton ETFs will go live on xStocks in the coming days. For more information, visit xStocks.fi

xStocks are issued by Backed Assets (JE) Limited (a Jersey private limited company) and offered to eligible Kraken customers via Payward Digital Solutions Ltd. (“PDSL”), a company licensed to conduct digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. xStocks are not, nor will they be registered with any local securities regulators. PDSL (Kraken) does not provide investment advice and/or recommendations, and, no communication, through any Kraken App or website or otherwise, should be construed as such. Individual investors should make their own decisions or seek professional independent advice if they are unsure as to the suitability / appropriateness of any investment for their circumstances or needs, including potential tax treatment. Investing in xStocks involves an element of risk. The value of an investment may go down as well as up, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Not available in the U.S. or to U.S. persons. Geographic restrictions apply. Read Kraken’s xStocks Risk Disclosure at kraken.com/legal/xstocks as well as the Base Prospectus and related Final Terms for xStocks at https://assets.backed.fi/legal-documentation to learn more.