ETH News: Peter Thiel-Backed ETHZilla Cuts ETH Holdings After Debt Redemption

ETHZilla sells $74.5 million in ETH holdings to redeem debt, shifts focus toward real-world asset tokenization, and reduces crypto treasury emphasis.

ETHZilla has reduced its ether holdings following a major debt repayment move. The Peter Thiel-backed firm had a large sale of Eth in holdings. Moreover, the sale represents a strategic reorientation. Consequently, revenue-based growth is regaining importance in the focus of the management. The announcement indicates a move away from balance-sheet-led valuation narratives.

ETHZilla Sells $74.5M in ETH to Redeem Convertible Debt

ETHZilla revealed that 24,291 ETH was sold for a total of around $74.5 million. The proceeds will be used to redeem senior secured convertible notes. According to the company, the bulk of funds will be used for early redemptions. These are the days of December 24 and December 30.

As part of redeeming our outstanding senior secured convertible notes, ETHZilla sold 24,291 ETH for approximately $74.5 million. We plan to use all, or a significant portion, of the proceeds to fund the redemption. The dashboard below excludes cash on the balance sheet which… pic.twitter.com/c5HMDrf48X

— ETHZilla (@ETHZilla_ETHZ) December 22, 2025

The ETH sale comes after a similar move earlier this year. In October 2025, ETHZilla sold about $40 million worth of ether. That transaction supported a stock repurchase program. As a result, cumulative ETH disposals have so far totaled more than $110 million.

Related Reading: ETH News: Analyst Sees Ethereum Breaking Out After 4-Year Wait

Management tied the most recent sale to the optimization of capital structure. The company intends to redeem its convertible notes of 2028. As a result, there will be a reduction in leverage. This step is with the purpose of making financing obligations easier. Debt reduction has emerged to the fore under pressure from markets.

ETHZilla said that the value drivers have changed later. The firm has now come to expect that revenue and cash flow lead valuation. Specifically, real-world asset tokenization is at the center of it. Therefore, the dependence on crypto net asset value metrics will come down.

As part of this transition, ETHZilla stopped its mNAV dashboard. The tool compared the market capitalization and crypto holdings. Management said the dashboard no longer represents core strategy. However, balance sheet updates will recur from time to time.

The company verified ongoing ETH treasury disclosures. Any changes to the material will be reflected in SEC filings. Social media updates will also persist. Therefore, transparency will not just disappear.

ETHZilla Sells $74.5M in ETH Holdings to Redeem Convertible Debt

The pivot comes on weak stock performances. ETHZilla shares have lost around 96 percent from August highs. The stock is trading below the net asset value. This pattern is very similar to difficulties encountered by digital asset treasury companies in 2525.

Investor sentiment has eased across the sector. Many public holders of cryptocurrencies experienced widening valuation discounts. As a result, balance-sheet-intensive strategies lost favor. ETHZilla’s shift represents wider trends in reassessment.

Ownership changes provided even more context. Founders Fund cut its stake in ETHZilla recently. The venture firm was holding about 7.5 percent in August. By September 30, holdings had fallen to 5.6 percent. This decrease was before the most recent ETH sale.

Management focused on operations in the future. Revenue is expected to be generated when real-world asset tokenization is performed. This includes financial and physical asset tokenization. The firm believes that this model has sustainable cash flows. For these reasons, speculative asset accumulation assumes a secondary role.

ETHZilla recognized less transparency in the daily tracker of NAV. Still, it promised to continue disclosing. Material ETH treasury changes will remain public. Balance sheet summaries will be shared on a periodic basis. Therefore, compliance requirements are not broken.

Overall, the most recent ETH sale illustrates a recalibration. The collection of goods now takes a back seat to debt repayment. Stability is desired by the firm through operating income. Tokenization revenue is its next stage of growth.