Job Posts Suggest Franklin Templeton Is Ramping Up Crypto Investing

Asset manager Franklin Templeton is apparently looking to ramp up its digital asset management services, as suggested by two job openings the company posted on its website for a cryptocurrency trader and a cryptocurrency analyst.

According to the posting for the cryptocurrency trader, the firm is looking for someone “to execute trades for several strategies using the largest, most liquid listed and tradable crypto assets,” such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. It said the trader will be responsible for timely execution of portfolio rebalancing and supporting work processes involving reconciliation and settlement, and the new hire will join Franklin Templeton’s growing digital asset management team.

“The quantitative trader will also bring a process automation mindset to build or work with developers to construct tools to support the platform’s growth,” says the posting. “The trader will add insight and develop quantitative trading strategies.”

The trader will be responsible for manual or automated crypto trades through various exchanges for various strategies and multiple crypto assets. The trader will also collaborate with the digital asset team to develop and maintain quantitative valuation models to add incremental return to certain strategies, and identify and implement trading operations improvements.

The firm said the ideal candidate for the job would have a knowledge of and passion in blockchain protocols and digital currencies, as well as a working knowledge of derivate and futures trading and settlement, and modern portfolio theory, multifactor risk methods, and factor-base investing, among other things.

As for the cryptocurrency investment research analyst opening, Franklin Templeton says it is looking for someone to provide research coverage for the largest, most liquid listed and tradable crypto assets. It said the analyst will develop and maintain valuation models using both fundamental and quantitative methods, and keep portfolio managers and senior executives informed of protocol regulatory, staking, and business opportunities.

The analyst will also be expected to help develop and manage new crypto asset products. Although it is not required, the posting also added that programming experience “would be a plus.”

Franklin Templeton, which has more than $1.55 trillion in assets under management (AUM) as of the end of June, has been working its way into the cryptocurrency space over the past few years. In 2018, the firm acquired Random Forest Capital, an investment firm with expertise in data science and non-bank marketplace lending, which applies machine learning to solve for expected gains in financial investments.

At the time acquisition was announced, Franklin Templeton said the Random Forest team would join its fixed-income group’s investment team. However, it appears that Kevin Farrelly, the founder of Random Forrest, is currently Franklin Templeton’s director of digital asset management. A Linkedin profile with no photo that goes only by the name Kevin F. claims to be a vice president in charge of Franklin Templeton’s digital asset unit, as well as the founder of Random Forrest.