Seth Ginns

a16z's Ben Horowitz and Erik Torenberg speak with Alex Blania, co-founder and CEO of Tools for Humanity, to cover deepfakes, proof of human, what AI means for identity, and more. They cover the technical challenge of proving human uniqueness at scale using iris biometrics, the privacy architecture behind World ID, why platforms from social networks to dating apps to video conferencing will soon require proof of human verification, and more. Introduction Three big ideas people were interested in The Orb verification piece Social media bots: Psyops and propaganda We had proof of personhood for the longest time US go-to-market Levels of verification @alexblania @tfh_technology @bhorowitz @eriktorenberg

Few understand, and we hired them.

Franklin Templeton said it would buy a spinoff from the venture firm CoinFund to expand its cryptocurrency-investing offering on.wsj.com/4v0Xqwo

@patrickjwitt @perkinscr97 Thanks Patrick! Appreciate all your great work in DC!

Congratulations to @perkinscr97 and @sethginns on this exciting announcement. Expect to see a lot more headlines like this as digital assets are brought into the regulatory fold. CLARITY would supercharge this.

RT @dlawant: So the most forward-looking tradfi institutions are snatching top crypto teams and you're still bearish, anon? Congrats @perk…

Congrats @coinfund Now backed by a renowned @FTI_Global and a sizable balance sheet Great way to be positioned for the ‘end of crypto winter’ ❄️ @sethginns @perkinscr97 Some news on convergence between tradfi and crypto: wsj.com/finance/curren…

@TheOneandOmsy @sethginns @perkinscr97 Thank you kind sir! Excited to join the @FTDA_US @FTI_Global family!

Today, I’m very excited to announce that I will be joining @FTI_Global as the head of Franklin Crypto. The convergence of traditional finance (TradFi) and the digital asset ecosystem is no longer a "future" trend—it is the reality of 2026. As I prepare to step into my new role leading Franklin Crypto with @sethginns and Tony Pecore, I am incredibly energized to help lead this firm’s continued evolution in a space that is fundamentally rewiring how global markets operate. Crypto’s institutional era is upon us, and to succeed, Franklin Crypto must leverage its deep and unique understanding of crypto and traditional finance to build differentiated, scalable and compliant products for our clients. My journey has always been defined by a foot in both worlds: the rigorous, disciplined structures of traditional finance and the high-velocity innovation of the crypto markets. At Franklin Templeton, my goal will be to leverage this unique vantage point to partner with our clients, building the institutional-grade products they need to succeed in this new digital frontier. We aren't just observing the market; we are active participants in its transformation. Markets are tokenizing. The once-distinct lines between crypto and traditional assets are blurring into a single, cohesive financial landscape. Perhaps most importantly, the era of the "9-to-5" market is fading as we embrace the reality of 24/7 global liquidity. It is fascinating to look back even just a few years. Previously, there was a perceived "reputational risk" for an institution to be involved in crypto. Today, that narrative has completely flipped. In 2026, the true reputational risk lies in not having a digital asset strategy. As the "Institutional Era" of crypto takes hold, our clients expect more than just exposure—they expect sophisticated navigation with people they can trust. Franklin Templeton has spent years building the foundational infrastructure—including the proprietary Benji Technology platform—and the deep internal expertise necessary to manage these assets with the same precision as any traditional portfolio. The timing for this transition couldn't be better. We are currently seeing a unique divergence: while broader market sentiment may fluctuate, the underlying fundamentals of the crypto markets continue to improve at an exponential rate. Our mission is simple: to attract the best investment talent, build leading digital infrastructure and support the needs of our clients in this exciting new world. We differentiate ourselves through an exceptionally deep knowledge of both crypto-native protocols and traditional asset management. By combining this expertise with Franklin Templeton’s legacy of operational excellence, we are perfectly positioned to deliver for our clients as they scale their own digital journeys. I look forward to what we will build together.

JUST IN: Franklin Templeton acquires 250 Digital to launch Franklin Crypto, co-led by Chris Perkins (@perkinscr97) & Seth Ginns (@sethginns). Significant move as traditional finance expands further into digital assets. Huge congratulations to both teams!

Press Release: investors.franklinresources.com/news-center/pr…

For more coverage and information about the transaction via @WSJ @Vlajournaliste wsj.com/finance/curren…

“We’re thrilled to join @FTI_Global and work alongside visionary leaders including Jenny Johnson and Sandy Kaul, who have cemented the firm as an early mover and clear leader in the crypto ecosystem as blockchain technology builders, node operators, thought leaders and active crypto managers,” added @SethGinns. “We share a long-term vision, and with the client-centric culture and distribution strengths of Franklin Templeton, we are well positioned to expand our collective reach and accelerate the growth and adoption of our strategies globally.”

“Crypto’s institutional moment has arrived, and Franklin Crypto will help our global clients navigate this complex and rapidly evolving asset class by delivering the expertise, knowledge and digital asset products that meet their sophisticated investment needs,” said Perkins @PerkinsCr97 .“In partnership with @SethGinns, Tony Pecore and our teams, we will position Franklin Crypto as the global leader in digital asset management.”

“This is an exciting addition for Franklin Templeton, and we’re pleased to welcome Chris (@PerkinsCr97), and Seth @SethGinns and the 250 Digital team to our firm,” said Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton. "Together, their investment talent and differentiated strategies strengthen our capabilities in digital assets and position us among a select group of global asset managers with a dedicated, institutional-grade crypto investment management unit, enhancing our ability to serve institutional clients worldwide."

Today, we launched Franklin Crypto: a new dedicated, institutional-grade crypto investment management unit. Industry veterans Chris Perkins and Seth Ginns will co-lead Franklin Crypto alongside @FTI_Global’s Tony Pecore. To expand our existing suite of actively managed crypto and blockchain VC investment offerings, Franklin Templeton will acquire 250 Digital, led by Perkins (@perkinscr97 ) and Ginns @sethginns , formerly of CoinFund. As part of the agreement, all CoinFund liquid cryptocurrency strategies will be acquired to broaden our crypto investment platform. The transaction is expected to incorporate tokenized registered securities within its settlement structure, marking an important step toward conducting M&A transactions on chain.

New episode with @EffortCapital @SpartanBlack_1 @vaneckpk @cosmo_jiang and @sethginns They Discuss: - Token market weakness - Value accrual - Regulation and recovery - And more! Timestamps 👇 (0:00) Introduction (2:05) Meet the Panel (6:56) What Changes Sentiment? (16:16) Best Token Verticals (23:42) Token Holder Rights (33:05) Regulation and Midterms (38:35) 24 Month Outlook (42:26) Closing Comments

BREAKING: 🇺🇸 $4 trillion Federal National Mortgage Association to accept bitcoin-backed mortgages for the first time — WSJ 🚀

1/ Proof of Human is becoming increasingly critical. In the limit democracy and human agency depend on it. But building Proof of Human is unexpectedly challenging. FaceID doesn't prevent one person to fabricate human presence for thousands of AI agents. Government ID based Proof of Human is a surveillance risk and only 1b out of 8 billion people have verifiable IDs. An anti-surveillance and effective Proof of Human that actually empowers people requires new technology [paper linked in thread] 🧵

As AI-generated action becomes indistinguishable from human interaction, systems risk disinformation and loss of trust at scale. Proof of Human becomes critical infrastructure for restoring trust and participation in an increasingly agent-driven world.