ETHZilla Corporation, a prominent Ethereum treasury management firm, has acquired two CFM56-7B24 jet engines for $12.2 million through its newly formed subsidiary, ETHZilla Aerospace LLC. The purchase, finalized on January 17, 2026, and detailed in SEC filings, marks a significant strategic shift for the company as it moves to diversify beyond volatile cryptocurrency holdings and into the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs).
The acquisition was funded by the sale of a substantial portion of the company's Ethereum (ETH) holdings. In late 2025, ETHZilla sold $40 million worth of ETH to fund a stock buyback, followed by another $74.5 million sale in December for debt redemption, bringing the total ETH sold to over $114 million. This move was prompted by significant declines in the value of its crypto treasury amid broader market challenges.
The newly purchased engines are already leased to a major airline and will be managed with the assistance of Aero Engine Solutions, a third-party management firm. The lease agreement includes a buy-sell option to ensure the engines are returned in proper condition. This investment aligns with growing demand in the aircraft engine leasing market, which is experiencing a shortage of spare parts.
Chairman and CEO McAndrew Rudisill emphasized the strategic rationale, stating, aerospace assets "represent a substantial and growing market with high-yield potential, making it an attractive domain for tokenization." This acquisition is a cornerstone of ETHZilla's broader plan to build a scalable pipeline for tokenized assets. The company has also taken stakes in Zippy, a lender focused on manufactured home loans, and Karus, an auto finance platform, with the intent to bring these loan products onto the blockchain.
Partnering with regulated broker-dealer Liquidity.io, ETHZilla aims to ensure compliance in its tokenization efforts. The firm expects to launch its first tokenized asset offerings in early 2026, targeting assets like auto loans and home loans to create predictable cash flows and attract global investor interest.
