Key points
- Franklin Templeton and Animoca Brands announced a collaboration to bring tokenized real-world assets to the NUVA vault marketplace.
- NUVA launched in May 2026 with access to assets on Provenance Blockchain, while the new program is intended to broaden its issuer base.
- The companies did not identify the first assets, launch dates, fees or investor eligibility for the expanded offering.
Franklin Templeton and Animoca Brands have formed a strategic collaboration to bring more institutional tokenized assets to NUVA, an on-chain vault marketplace backed by Animoca. Announced on October 9, the program is intended to expand NUVA beyond its existing links to assets on Provenance Blockchain and give it access to a broader group of issuers.
A wider asset pipeline for NUVA
NUVA was co-incubated by Animoca Brands and Nuva Labs and launched in May 2026. Its vault structure is designed to package access to tokenized real-world assets through blockchain-based products. Animoca said the marketplace currently connects users to assets on Provenance Blockchain, a network that held more than $30 billion in total value locked as of September 24. That figure refers to the blockchain network, not assets managed by NUVA itself.
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The collaboration is meant to add institutional-grade assets from a wider range of issuers to that framework. Franklin Templeton brings experience operating blockchain-enabled investment products, while Animoca and Nuva Labs provide the marketplace and technical infrastructure. Crypto Briefing separately reported the partnership and its goal of expanding the real-world asset lineup available through NUVA.
Research accompanies the product plan
The two companies also released a four-part research series on tokenization and institutional adoption. Franklin Templeton's published material says tokenization can change how assets are accessed and used, but it also stresses that putting an asset on a blockchain does not by itself create adoption or liquidity. The final paper, which is still forthcoming, is expected to outline how NUVA seeks to connect decentralized distribution with institutional controls and liquidity mechanisms.
Animoca said the partners will explore further work, including the possible co-design and tokenization of cultural assets, with more details expected later in 2026. The announcement does not say which specific Franklin Templeton funds or third-party securities will be offered through NUVA. It also does not provide a commercial launch date, fee schedule, supported jurisdictions or investor-eligibility rules.
The planned expansion also differs from creating a new blockchain or issuing a general-purpose cryptocurrency. NUVA is positioned as a marketplace for vaults linked to underlying assets, while Nuva Labs supplies tokenization, management and distribution infrastructure. The parties say the collaboration will broaden the assets that can enter that system. They have not announced a NUVA token, a public sale or a change to the ownership structure of Franklin Templeton products.
The limits of the announcement
Those omissions matter because tokenized investment products still depend on the legal rights attached to the underlying asset, custody arrangements, transfer restrictions and the rules of each market where they are distributed. A marketplace integration can improve technical access without making every product available to every investor. The companies describe the effort as a strategic program, so the announcement should be read as a development roadmap rather than confirmation that a complete new catalog is already live.
Franklin Templeton reported $1.83 trillion in assets under management as of August 31, giving the partnership an established asset-management participant. NUVA, meanwhile, offers a distribution layer built for blockchain-native vaults. If the companies move from research and integration work to named products, the important tests will be which assets appear, what rights their tokens convey, how liquidity is provided and which investors can use them. Until those details arrive, the collaboration is a concrete expansion plan with substantial implementation questions still open.
Sources
- Animoca Brands and Franklin Templeton collaborate to expand institutional access to tokenized investments
- What Tokenization Means for Assets
- Animoca Brands partners with Franklin Templeton to expand tokenized assets on NUVA
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