TLDR
- ETHZilla acquired two CFM56-7B24 jet engines for $12.2 million via new aerospace division ETHZilla Aerospace LLC
- The purchase follows $114.5 million in Ethereum sales used for stock buybacks and debt payments
- Engines are leased to a major airline with management handled by Aero Engine Solutions
- Company stock has fallen 97% from its August 2025 peak
- Move is part of broader real-world asset tokenization strategy with partners like Liquidity.io
ETHZilla made an unexpected move into aerospace. The Ethereum treasury company spent $12.2 million on two jet engines.
The purchase came through ETHZilla Aerospace LLC, a newly formed subsidiary. SEC filings from Friday showed the company bought two CFM56-7B24 aircraft engines.
Both engines are currently under lease to a major airline. ETHZilla contracted Aero Engine Solutions to handle management for a monthly fee.
The deal structure includes a buy-sell option agreement. When the lease ends, either party can force a transaction at $3 million per engine if they remain in proper condition.
From Crypto Sales to Real Assets
This aerospace venture follows major Ethereum sales by ETHZilla. The company sold $40 million in ETH during October for a stock buyback program.
Another $74.5 million in ETH was sold in December. Those funds went toward redeeming outstanding debt.
The company’s stock performance has been rough. Shares dropped roughly 97% since peaking in August.
The jet engine business represents standard practice in aerospace. Airlines lease spare engines to prevent operational disruptions when primary engines need maintenance or fail.
Current market conditions favor this business. IATA reports member airlines will spend about $2.6 billion on spare engine leases in 2025 due to supply constraints.
Market research from TechSci shows strong growth ahead. The global aircraft engine leasing sector should grow from $11.17 billion in 2025 to $15.56 billion by 2031.
Tokenization Strategy Takes Shape
The engine purchase connects to ETHZilla’s new direction. The company is shifting focus toward tokenizing real-world assets on blockchain infrastructure.
A December shareholder letter detailed the strategy. ETHZilla partnered with Liquidity.io, a regulated broker-dealer and SEC-registered alternative trading system.
The company took a 15% stake in Zippy earlier. The manufactured home loan lender will see its loans tokenized as tradable instruments.
ETHZilla also invested in Karus, an auto finance platform. Plans include bringing those loans onto blockchain networks.
The company stated on X it’s building “a scalable tokenization pipeline across asset classes with predictable cash flows and global investor demand.” First tokenized asset offerings are expected in Q1 2026.
