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  • Investors throughout history have searched for ways to invest at the early stages of new businesses, ideas and investment opportunities.
  • We believe that new blockchain and smart contract-based technologies, and the protocol-based networks they enable, might represent a significant new business opportunity that has the potential to change existing business models and revamp how investors think about and hold their assets.
  • These innovations originated from the introduction of bitcoin, which introduced blockchain technologies to the world.
  • The bitcoin protocol is the first, distributed, consensus-based, censorship-resistant, permis­sionless, peer-to-peer settlement network built on blockchain with a provably scarce and programmable native currency (BTC). As such, bitcoin can be viewed as blockchain’s native currency. BTC is the first, oldest and largest cryptocurrency in the world.

Read the  to learn more.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

All investments involve risk, including the loss of principal.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency investments are subject to various risks, including inability to develop digital asset applications or to capitalize on those applications, theft, loss, or destruction of cryptographic keys, the possibility that digital asset technologies may never be fully implemented, cybersecurity risk, conflicting intellectual property claims, and inconsistent and changing regulations. Speculative trading in bitcoins and other forms of cryptocurrencies, many of which have exhibited extreme price volatility, carries significant risk; an investor can lose the entire amount of their investment. Blockchain technology is a new and relatively untested technology and may never be implemented to a scale that provides identifiable benefits. If a cryptocurrency is deemed a security, it may be deemed to violate federal securities laws. There may be a limited or no secondary market for cryptocurrencies.

Digital assets are subject to risks relating to immature and rapidly developing technology, security vulnerabilities of this technology, (such as theft, loss, or destruction of cryptographic keys), conflicting intellectual property claims, credit risk of digital asset exchanges, regulatory uncertainty, high volatility in their value/price, unclear acceptance by users and global marketplaces, and manipulation or fraud. Portfolio managers, service providers to the portfolios and other market participants increasingly depend on complex information technology and communications systems to conduct business functions. These systems are subject to a number of different threats or risks that could adversely affect the portfolio and their investors, despite the efforts of the portfolio managers and service providers to adopt technologies, processes and practices intended to mitigate these risks and protect the security of their computer systems, software, networks and other technology assets, as well as the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information belonging to the portfolios and their investors.

Any companies and/or case studies referenced herein are used solely for illustrative purposes; any investment may or may not be currently held by any portfolio advised by Franklin Templeton. The information provided is not a recommendation or individual investment advice for any particular security, strategy, or investment product and is not an indication of the trading intent of any Franklin Templeton managed portfolio.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION

This material is intended to be of general interest only and should not be construed as individual investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy, sell or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy. It does not constitute legal or tax advice.

The views expressed are those of the investment manager and the comments, opinions and analyses are rendered as at publication date and may change without notice. The information provided in this material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region or market.

Data from third party sources may have been used in the preparation of this material and Franklin Templeton Investments (“FTI”) has not independently verified, validated or audited such data. FTI accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss arising from use of this information and reliance upon the comments opinions and analyses in the material is at the sole discretion of the user.

Products, services and information may not be available in all jurisdictions and are offered outside the U.S. by other FTI affiliates and/or their distributors as local laws and regulation permits. Please consult your own professional adviser or Franklin Templeton institutional contact for further information on availability of products and services in your jurisdiction.

Investments entail risks, the value of investments can go down as well as up and investors should be aware they might not get back the full value invested.

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Australia: Issued by Franklin Templeton Australia Limited (ABN 76 004 835 849, AFSL 240827), Level 47 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000. Austria/Germany: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investment Services GmbH, Mainzer Landstraße 16, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Authorised in Germany by IHK Frankfurt M., Reg. no. D-F-125-TMX1-08. Tel. 08 00/0 73 80 01 (Germany), 08 00/29 59 11 (Austria), Fax: +49(0)69/2 72 23-120, [email protected]. Canada: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments Corp., 5000 Yonge Street, Suite 900 Toronto, ON, M2N 0A7, Fax: (416) 364-1163, (800) 387-0830, www.franklintempleton.ca. Netherlands: Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services Sàrl, Dutch branch, NoMA House, Gustav Mahlerlaan 1212, 1081 LA, Amsterdam. United Arab Emirates: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments (ME) Limited, authorized and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Dubai office: Franklin Templeton Investments, The Gate, East Wing, Level 2, Dubai International Financial Centre, P.O. Box 506613, Dubai, U.A.E., Tel.: +9714-4284100 Fax:+9714-4284140. France: Issued by Franklin Templeton France S.A., 20 rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris France. Hong Kong: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments (Asia) Limited, 17/F, Chater House, 8 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong. Italy: Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à.r.l. – Italian Branch, Corso Italia, 1 – Milan, 20122, Italy. Japan: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments Japan Limited. Korea: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investment Trust Management Co., Ltd., 3rd fl., CCMM Building, 12 Youido-Dong, Youngdungpo-Gu, Seoul, Korea 150-968. Luxembourg/Benelux: Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l. – Supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier - 8A, rue Albert Borschette, L-1246 Luxembourg - Tel: +352-46 66 67-1- Fax: +352-46 66 76. Malaysia: Issued by Franklin Templeton Asset Management (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. & Franklin Templeton GSC Asset Management Sdn. Bhd. Poland: Issued by Templeton Asset Management (Poland) TFI S.A.; Rondo ONZ 1; 00-124 Warsaw. Romania: Issued by Bucharest branch of Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited (“FTIML”) registered with the Romania Financial Supervisory Authority under no. PJM01SFIM/400005/14.09.2009,, and authorized and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Singapore: Issued by Templeton Asset Management Ltd. Registration No. (UEN) 199205211E. 7 Temasek Boulevard, #38-03 Suntec Tower One, 038987, Singapore. Spain: FTIS Branch Madrid, Professional of the Financial Sector under the Supervision of CNMV, José Ortega y Gasset 29, Madrid, Spain. Tel +34 91 426 3600, Fax +34 91 577 1857. South Africa: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investments SA (PTY) Ltd which is an authorised Financial Services Provider. Tel: +27 (21) 831 7400 ,Fax: +27 (21) 831 7422. Switzerland: Issued by Franklin Templeton Switzerland Ltd, Talstrasse 41, CH-8001 Zurich. UK: Issued by Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited (FTIML), registered office: Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6HL Tel +44 (0)20 7073 8500. Authorized and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. Nordic regions: Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l. , Contact details: Franklin Templeton International Services S.à.r.l., Swedish branch c/o Cecil Coworking, Norrlandsgatan 10, 111 43 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel +46 (0)8 545 012 30, [email protected], authorised in the Luxembourg by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier to conduct certain financial activities in Denmark, in Sweden, in Norway, in Iceland and in Finland. Offshore Americas: In the U.S., this publication is made available only to financial intermediaries by Templeton/Franklin Investment Services, 100 Fountain Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716. Tel: (800) 239-3894 (USA Toll-Free), (877) 389-0076 (Canada Toll-Free), and Fax: (727) 299-8736. Investments are not FDIC insured; may lose value; and are not bank guaranteed. Distribution outside the U.S. may be made by Templeton Global Advisors Limited or other sub-distributors, intermediaries, dealers or professional investors that have been engaged by Templeton Global Advisors Limited to distribute shares of Franklin Templeton funds in certain jurisdictions. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in any jurisdiction where it would be illegal to do so.
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