ETHZilla prepares for takeoff: How you can now own a piece of a jet engine for just $100

ETHZilla (ETHZ) has unveiled a tokenized aviation asset, marking a major step in its plan to bring income-producing real-world assets onto Ethereum.

The new offering, Eurus Aero Token I, gives accredited investors access to lease income from two commercial jet engines currently in use by a major U.S. airline, ETHZilla announced on Thursday.

The deal, run through ETHZilla's newly formed ETHZilla Aerospace LLC subsidiary, turns a traditionally institutional asset, aircraft engine leasing, into fractional tokens.

Each $100 token represents a claim on monthly lease payments, with expected annual returns around 11%, according to the company. ETHZIlla acquired the jet engines for $12.2 million late last month.

The tokens are issued on Ethereum Layer 2s and distributed through Liquidity.io, a platform that ETHZilla has backed.

Various firms buy and lease jet engines to aircraft operators. The firms lease these engines as spares to ensure their operations can continue in case their primary engines fail. Firms including AerCap, Willis Lease, and SMBC Aero Engine Lease are involved in the business.

This marks a shift from ETHZilla’s prior focus as a crypto treasury. The company sold over $114 million in ETH last year and redirected its capital toward tokenized assets like home loans, car loans and now aerospace equipment. The firm still owns 69,802 ETH ($136.5 million).

The Eurus tokens are secured by the engines, lease contracts and insurance, with distribution built directly into the smart contracts.

The leases run through 2028 and include a buy-sell agreement that could return additional capital to investors at term’s end. ETHZilla plans to expand this model into other asset classes, the firm wrote.