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Thiel’s Founders Fund Exits ETHZilla as Ethereum-Treasury Bet Unravels

The filing confirms a clean break that underscores ETHZilla’s pivot to tokenized leased jet engines.

Overview

  • An amended Form 13G/A filed Feb. 17 shows Peter Thiel and Founders Fund held zero ETHZilla shares as of Dec. 31, 2025, down from a disclosed 7.5% stake in August 2025.
  • ETHZilla disclosed in a February 2026 8-K that it redeemed all senior secured convertible notes, paying $516.148 million in principal plus an $87.745 million redemption premium and interest.
  • The company sold roughly $40 million in ETH in October 2025 for a $250 million buyback and about $74.5 million in December to repay debt, cutting holdings to roughly 69,800 ETH from over 100,000 at peak.
  • ETHZilla has launched ETHZilla Aerospace and Eurus Aero Token I to tokenize revenue rights from leased aircraft engines, including two CFM56 units acquired for about $12.2 million.
  • Shares have slumped roughly 95%–98% from 2025 highs, highlighting investor retrenchment from public crypto-treasury plays even as some institutions maintain direct ETH exposure.