Ramazan Eles 
Franklin Templeton’s CEO has stated that traditional finance (TradFi) still underestimates and overlooks Bitcoin.
Known for her support of Bitcoin, Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson remarked that the traditional finance sector continues to downplay the significance of Bitcoin. Speaking at the Jackson Hole Symposium in Wyoming, Johnson emphasized that TradFi is missing out on the massive scale of Bitcoin.
According to a report by CoinDesk, Johnson revealed that she dedicates 30% of her daily work to researching innovative technologies. She also highlighted two emerging trends she doesn’t want to miss out on: cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence (AI).
“There’s an entire industry out there ignoring the crypto ecosystem, which is growing parallel to traditional finance and reaching an enormous scale,” said Johnson.
What she finds astonishing is how traditional financial institutions have no understanding of the amount and volume of money circulating within the Bitcoin and broader cryptocurrency sector.
Despite Bitcoin’s substantial size, TradFi continues to overlook it. Johnson pointed out that traditional finance institutions are unaware of Bitcoin’s scale and volume. She cited that over $36.6 trillion worth of transactions were processed on the Bitcoin blockchain last year.
Comparing Bitcoin transactions to those of Visa and Mastercard, Johnson noted that global payment networks Mastercard and Visa processed $9 trillion and $14.8 trillion in transactions, respectively. “In 2023, Bitcoin’s transaction volume was double the combined transaction volume of Mastercard and Visa,” she added.
Franklin Templeton currently offers spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, showcasing its commitment to the cryptocurrency space.