Developing countries will continue to adopt Bitcoin (BTC) before it eventually becomes imperative for all national treasuries to hold, according to $1.5 trillion asset manager Frankin Templeton.

The investment firm’s Head of Digital Asset & Investor Advisory Services, Sandy Kaul, spoke at length this week about the future of Bitcoin adoption – from its place within investor portfolios to its technology stack, to its role among nations and governments.

Bitcoin For Nation States

According to Kaul, BTC is already becoming an attractive tool for less developed nations to compete with larger economies on a “more equal playing field” by combining their buying power around the digital currency.

“I think that you’ll see more of that,” said Kaul during an interview on the Coin Stories podcast. “I think also that it’s going to become something that every treasury needs to hold because portions of their business will just be facilitated more easily through Bitcoin payments.”

While acknowledging that Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) may also make cross-border trade more efficient, the spokesperson said such currencies will still be subject to national exchange rate risks.

By contrast, Bitcoin can be used as the “base unit of international trade,” meaning every country will need to hold some BTC reserves to facilitate efficient conversions.

“I just see it working its way increasingly into the traditional banking system, as a foundational part of that system,” she said.

Bitcoin For Diversification

Franklin Templeton is one of 13 applicants gunning for a Bitcoin spot ETF in the United States. As regulators grow more open-minded on the product, many analysts expect Franklin and other applicants to be approved for launch early next year.

By offering BTC exposure through an ETF wrapper, the fund will more easily find a way into investor portfolios. Kaul called BTC one of the “best-performing asset classes” in the past decade, even when factoring in “crypto winter.”

As an alternative asset class, the spokesperson said BTC can provide alternative exposure and diversification to portfolios, and thus better risk-adjusted returns.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, Kaul envisions crypto unlocking a slew of benefits that modern-day investors and spenders are unfamiliar with.

“The money that I have in my account and the investments I make in my portfolio are going to act like loyalty programs and unlock all sorts of benefits for me,” she said.