SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 May 2026 - DigiFT, a regulated digital asset exchange for institutional-grade real-world assets, and Franklin Templeton, a global investment leader with USD 1.74 trillion in assets under management, today announced a long-term strategic partnership to make the Benji Technology Platform and its related tokenization products available to accredited and institutional investors through DigiFT's platform. DigiFT holds Capital Markets Services and Recognised Market Operator licences from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) — a regulatory standing that makes DigiFT specifically authorised to distribute regulated securities tokens to institutional investors in Singapore.
(Left) Henry Zhang, Founder and Group CEO at DigiFT and (Right) Chetan Karkhanis, SVP Digital Asset Partnership Development at Franklin Templeton
The collaboration is grounded in a shared early commitment to institutional tokenization. Franklin Templeton launched the first U.S.-registered mutual fund to use a public blockchain to process transactions and record share ownership in 2021. DigiFT has built one of Asia's most comprehensively regulated platforms for institutional tokenized asset distribution — holding licences in both Singapore and Hong Kong, including Type 1 and Type 4 licences from the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. This partnership brings those two track records together: DigiFT will serve as a key distributor across Asia, with both organisations committed to expanding the scope of their work together over time.
The partnership arrives at a decisive moment. In 2025, tokenized real-world assets distributed on public blockchains grew from approximately USD 5.5 billion to USD 18.6 billion, with tokenized U.S. government securities emerging as the leading institutional category. This growth underscores a structural inefficiency in digital markets, where institutional capital is frequently held in non‑yielding stablecoins or on‑exchange balances, while traditional fund infrastructure remains constrained by defined settlement cycles. The Benji Technology Platform and its related tokenization products are designed to address this gap by supporting the tokenization of U.S. government securities strategies that accrue yield continuously, including intraday accrual, through Franklin Templeton's patent‑pending Intraday Yield mechanism. It also supports 24/7 transferability between permissioned wallets and near‑instant on‑chain settlement, enabling a range of potential institutional treasury management, payment and settlement use cases, and deployable off‑exchange collateral for institutional market participants.
Henry Zhang, Founder and Group CEO of DigiFT, said: "DigiFT was built with a specific conviction: that institutional investors deserve access to the world's best on-chain financial instruments, through a platform that meets the regulatory standard they require. The partnership with Franklin Templeton reflects that conviction and marks the beginning of a long-term strategic collaboration to bring tokenized solutions to market."
Chetan Karkhanis, SVP, Digital Asset Partnership Development at Franklin Templeton, said: "The partners we choose reflect our long-term commitment, not just our near-term distribution objectives towards bringing the benefits of blockchain and tokenization to the industry. DigiFT's leadership and innovative edge, together with the institutional infrastructure they have built, provides a strong foundation for this partnership. This marks the beginning of what we expect to be an expanding and enduring collaboration."
Hashtag: #DigiFT
https://www.digift.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/digifttech/
https://twitter.com/DigiFTTech
https://www.youtube.com/@DigiFTtech
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
** This press release is distributed by Media OutReach Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
‘EX M Imperial Tastes of Umami & Kokumi’ highlights Kyoto-style flavours over 10 courses
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 May 2026 - A culinary event like no other comes to Sagano, at the New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel, starting June 8, 2026 followed by Flint in JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong later with their chefs being part of a 6 Hands collaboration. The promotion features three top gastronomic virtuosi: Chris Chan, current head chef of Sagano, Tony Wong Chi-chuen, Executive Chef of JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, and Dan Gan, creator of the innovative Exotica Umami (EX M) sauce.
Six-Hands Set Inspired by Innovative Exotica Umami EX M Sauce Comes to Sagano & Flint The 'Imperial Tastes of Umami & Kokumi' highlights legacy dishes and regal concepts, incorporating the innovative multifunctional sauce Exotica Umami (EX M).
The one-of-a-kind event draws inspiration from refined Kyoto-style cuisine. This traditional form of gastronomy has long been presented at New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel's Sagano, one of Hong Kong's most esteemed Japanese restaurants. For many years, Sagano has practised this culinary philosophy of emphasizing seasonal ingredients, aesthetic presentation, and harmonious balance of flavours.
Three top chefs now pay tribute to Kyoto cooking with a special tasting menu reinterpreting many long signature dishes at Sagano with EX M sauce's flavour enhancing and texture altering ability. The menu explores the profound synergy between umami (a savoury, rich mouthfeel) and kokumi (an intensity and lingering trigger) – concepts attributed to be the 'fifth' and 'sixth taste' after sweet, salty, bitter and sour. These flavours can be exponentially charged in ingredients through marination or using the EX M sauce during the direct cooking process.
The event is conceptualized by Dan Gan, restaurateur and creator of the Exotica Umami (Ex M) Sauce. The expert sauce creator has spent years reinventing and formulating the product based on an ancient Roman recipe. The flavour elixir has been praised by numerous professional chefs and gastronomic influencers.
Participating chef Chris Chan, Sagano's head chef,has built an established career in hotel Japanese restaurants, specialising in Washoku.
Tony Wong Chi-Chuen has over three decades of experience at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, playing a pivotal role in elevating the hotel's culinary reputation. He upholds uncompromising standards, from the quality of ingredients to the mastery of techniques, ensuring that every dish is expertly crafted.
Each of the 10 classic Japanese dishes will explore EX M sauce in different facets of preparation methods. The menu consists of:
- Akami Maguro Sushi Marinated with EX M Sauce
- EX M Butter Crab Leg
- EX M Yakitori
- EX M Tonkatsu
- Kyoto-style Pan Seared Duck Breast with EX M Sauce
- EX M Saikyo Miso Black Cod
- Kyoto-style Dengaku Eggplant with EX M Miso Paste
- EX M Sautéed A5 Wagyu Beef
- Kyoto-style Grilled Sea Bream Claypot Rice with EX M Sauce
- Green Tea Ice Cream with EX M Yuzu Chocolate Syrup
The Six Hands 'EX M Imperial Tastes of Umami & Kokumi' menu will be available and launched on June 8 at Sagano, New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel followed by Flint at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong from June 15 until August 31, respectively. The charge is HK$1,200 (plus 10% service charge). Call 2313 4222 for reservations at Sagano, and 2810 8366 for reservations at Flint.
In late June, Chef Masahiko Noka, an expert of cuisine, will release his homecooking simplified recipe videos and reviews of EX M Sauce of the same dishes. These videos and recipes will be released on the official Exotica Umami EX M Sauce social media channels as part of the 'EX M: Unlocking the Sixth Sense' Umami and Kokumi Series.
For more info, tune into the Instagram and Facebook page of Exotica Umami EX M @exmsauce on updates and the EXOTICA UMAMI YouTube channel for the full videos.
Hashtag: #ExoticaUmami #exmsauce
https://www.exotica-gelatea.com
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Exotica Umami (EX M)
Exotica Umami (EX M) is a multifunctional cooking sauce and flavour enhancer with deep, full-bodied umami richness — designed for marinating, seasoning, cooking, and finishing, helping chefs reach new culinary heights.
It was invented in Hong Kong by food visionary Dan Gan. Inspired by an ancient Roman recipe, it was developed and created in Hong Kong at Gan's Exotica Gelatea Restaurant.
It is available in Hong Kong via:
Instagram: @exmsauce
Online store: https://knt1tx-0y.myshopify.com/
info@exoticaconcepts.com
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 May 2026 - A culinary event like no other comes to Sagano, at the New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel, starting June 8, 2026 followed by Flint in JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong later with their chefs being part of a 6 Hands collaboration. The promotion features three top gastronomic virtuosi: Chris Chan, current head chef of Sagano, Tony Wong Chi-chuen, Executive Chef of JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, and Dan Gan, creator of the innovative Exotica Umami (EX M) sauce.
Six-Hands Set Inspired by Innovative Exotica Umami EX M Sauce Comes to Sagano & Flint
The 'Imperial Tastes of Umami & Kokumi' highlights legacy dishes and regal concepts, incorporating the innovative multifunctional sauce Exotica Umami (EX M).
The one-of-a-kind event draws inspiration from refined Kyoto-style cuisine. This traditional form of gastronomy has long been presented at New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel's Sagano, one of Hong Kong's most esteemed Japanese restaurants. For many years, Sagano has practised this culinary philosophy of emphasizing seasonal ingredients, aesthetic presentation, and harmonious balance of flavours.
Three top chefs now pay tribute to Kyoto cooking with a special tasting menu reinterpreting many long signature dishes at Sagano with EX M sauce's flavour enhancing and texture altering ability. The menu explores the profound synergy between umami (a savoury, rich mouthfeel) and kokumi (an intensity and lingering trigger) – concepts attributed to be the 'fifth' and 'sixth taste' after sweet, salty, bitter and sour. These flavours can be exponentially charged in ingredients through marination or using the EX M sauce during the direct cooking process.
The event is conceptualized by Dan Gan, restaurateur and creator of the Exotica Umami (Ex M) Sauce. The expert sauce creator has spent years reinventing and formulating the product based on an ancient Roman recipe. The flavour elixir has been praised by numerous professional chefs and gastronomic influencers.
Participating chef Chris Chan, Sagano's head chef,has built an established career in hotel Japanese restaurants, specialising in Washoku.
Tony Wong Chi-Chuen has over three decades of experience at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, playing a pivotal role in elevating the hotel's culinary reputation. He upholds uncompromising standards, from the quality of ingredients to the mastery of techniques, ensuring that every dish is expertly crafted.
Each of the 10 classic Japanese dishes will explore EX M sauce in different facets of preparation methods. The menu consists of:
- Akami Maguro Sushi Marinated with EX M Sauce
- EX M Butter Crab Leg
- EX M Yakitori
- EX M Tonkatsu
- Kyoto-style Pan Seared Duck Breast with EX M Sauce
- EX M Saikyo Miso Black Cod
- Kyoto-style Dengaku Eggplant with EX M Miso Paste
- EX M Sautéed A5 Wagyu Beef
- Kyoto-style Grilled Sea Bream Claypot Rice with EX M Sauce
- Green Tea Ice Cream with EX M Yuzu Chocolate Syrup
The Six Hands 'EX M Imperial Tastes of Umami & Kokumi' menu will be available and launched on June 8 at Sagano, New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel followed by Flint at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong from June 15 until August 31, respectively. The charge is HK$1,200 (plus 10% service charge). Call 2313 4222 for reservations at Sagano, and 2810 8366 for reservations at Flint.
In late June, Chef Masahiko Noka, an expert of cuisine, will release his homecooking simplified recipe videos and reviews of EX M Sauce of the same dishes. These videos and recipes will be released on the official Exotica Umami EX M Sauce social media channels as part of the 'EX M: Unlocking the Sixth Sense' Umami and Kokumi Series.
For more info, tune into the Instagram and Facebook page of Exotica Umami EX M @exmsauce on updates and the EXOTICA UMAMI YouTube channel for the full videos.
Hashtag: #ExoticaUmami #exmsauce
https://www.exotica-gelatea.com
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Exotica Umami (EX M)
Exotica Umami (EX M) is a multifunctional cooking sauce and flavour enhancer with deep, full-bodied umami richness — designed for marinating, seasoning, cooking, and finishing, helping chefs reach new culinary heights.
It was invented in Hong Kong by food visionary Dan Gan. Inspired by an ancient Roman recipe, it was developed and created in Hong Kong at Gan's Exotica Gelatea Restaurant.
It is available in Hong Kong via:
Instagram: @exmsauce
Online store: https://knt1tx-0y.myshopify.com/
info@exoticaconcepts.com
** This press release is distributed by Media OutReach Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
