Last updated on March 9th, 2026 at 02:40 am
Crypto treasury firm ETHZilla has unveiled a new token tied to commercial aviation assets, marking a decisive shift from its earlier Ether accumulation strategy toward real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.
The company announced Thursday that it is launching the Eurus Aero Token I through its newly formed subsidiary, ETHZilla Aerospace. The token is backed by two commercial jet engines acquired in January for a combined $12.2 million. According to the firm, the engines are currently leased to a leading US airline under agreements running through 2028.
🛫Eurus Aero Token I from ETHZilla Aerospace is live. Aviation meets Blockchain. Real jet engines. Real lease revenue. Real yield.
✈️CFM56 engines with Major U.S. Air Carrier
💵~11% target rate of return based on holding for full term of the lease
🇺🇸 Monthly USD payouts… pic.twitter.com/zy2BkljrSH— ETHZilla (@ETHZilla_ETHZ) February 12, 2026
Each token is priced at $100, with a minimum purchase of 10 tokens. ETHZilla projects an 11% return for investors who hold the token for the full lease term, citing contracted cash flows from the engine leases as the yield driver.
Chairman and CEO McAndrew Rudisill said the initiative is designed to broaden access to traditionally institutional-grade assets.
“Offering a token backed by engines leased to one of the largest and most profitable US airlines serves as a strong use case for applying blockchain infrastructure to aviation assets,”
Rudisill said, adding that the move modernizes fractional ownership in markets historically limited to private equity and credit investors.
From Ether treasury to real-world assets
ETHZilla, formerly known as 180 Life Sciences Corp, pivoted to a crypto treasury model in July, joining a wave of companies accumulating Ether amid market enthusiasm.
However, Rudisill said in December that the company would move beyond simply holding ETH and instead focus on bringing traditional assets on-chain. Future tokenization plans include home and auto loan portfolios.
As of September, ETHZilla reported holding 102,246 Ether at an average purchase price of $3,948, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ether holdings under scrutiny
While ETHZilla was once valued at over $443 million in Ether, the company’s current holdings appear lower. Strategic Ether Reserves data suggests it holds more than 93,000 ETH, though market tracker CoinGecko estimates closer to 69,802 ETH, worth roughly $136 million at recent prices.
The launch comes as tokenized RWAs surpass $24 billion on-chain, underscoring growing interest in blockchain-based access to income-generating assets.
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