Reference · Aircraft finance
Aircraft Finance Guide: Loans, Leases, Lombard and Crypto-Backed Credit
Before you sign anything, know how the money works. This guide explains what lenders ask for, how aircraft are financed in the US and elsewhere, how escrow protects the buyer, and which banks and platforms lend against digital assets, with their published terms.
Prefer that someone does it for you? ICCJET arranges aircraft financing: we check the asset, raise the money and manage the aircraft.
Documents
What the Bank Will Ask You For
The full list, so there are no surprises. Prepare it before you find the aircraft and you will be the buyer the seller can trust.
Aircraft and transaction
- Type, model and serial number
- Purchase price
- Age (banks typically up to 15 years, some up to 5)
- Modifications and upgrades
- Requested tenor
- Country of registration
- Operator details
- Current and intended base
- Intended use: private; commercial case by case
- Equity: private banks generally 50%, in some cases up to 70%; lower in lease structures
Ultimate beneficial owner
- Passport of the future owner
- Proof of address (utility bills)
- Marital status, heirs or dependents
- Income sources and professional CV
- Proof of liquid assets: bank reference or portfolio statement
- Other assets, art and real estate
- Liabilities and loans with maturities
- Corporate structure
- Org charts, holdings, trusts, last two financial statements and consolidated reporting
US practice
How Aircraft Are Financed in the US
◆ Who lends: banks and private banks with aviation desks (PNC Aviation Finance, Truist, Citi Private Bank, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, 1st Source Bank); specialist lenders and lessors such as Global Jet Capital, over $5.2 billion originated; in 2026 new private credit platforms: New Bridge AeroFinance, Elevex Capital, JB Aircraft Finance.
◆ Typical terms: 15-25% down and 75-85% financed; 100% for the strongest clients; amortisation 10-15 years; most buyers fix the rate; prepayment fees in early years.
◆ Registry: lenders like the FAA N-registry; non-US owners use an owner trust with a US citizen trustee. The US is a Cape Town Convention state.
◆ Tax: 100% bonus depreciation for new and used aircraft acquired after 19 January 2025, if business use exceeds 50% in the year placed in service.
◆ Term sheet: confirm the lender finances that make, model and age before signing the purchase agreement; check LTV, fees, covenants, insurance and international use.
International
International Practice and Registries
◆ Switzerland: private banks lend mainly against portfolios (Lombard); FINMA-regulated banks lead in lending against digital assets. Only FINMA-licensed institutions may call themselves a bank.
◆ United Kingdom: private banks and specialist lenders; English law is widely used for cross-border aircraft loans and leases.
◆ UAE: DIFC and ADGM lenders; arranging credit secured by virtual assets in Dubai is VARA-licensed; UAE banks convert digital asset proceeds into fiat.
◆ Germany and the EU: banks, leasing and equipment finance, strong in industrial and robotics equipment; crypto services under MiCA.
◆ Ireland: more than 60% of the world's leased aircraft are managed from Ireland; leasing to a business lessee needs no Irish government licence.
◆ Registries lenders accept: Isle of Man, Malta, San Marino, Aruba, Cayman Islands. Cape Town Convention states include the US, UAE, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Cayman; Switzerland is not a party to the aircraft protocol.
Closing
Escrow and Closing: How Your Money Is Protected
Agreement. Purchase agreement with clear closing conditions; deposit with an independent escrow agent.
Checks. Pre-purchase inspection, records review, title and lien search, International Registry checks.
Closing. Funds held in escrow, bill of sale, deregistration and new registration in one sequence.
Release. Funds released only when every condition is met; insurance from the moment of transfer.
Crypto lenders
Lender Directory: 28 Banks and Platforms That Lend Against Digital Assets
The route that works for an aircraft has four steps. Your coins stay in custody, a licensed lender pays fiat, escrow pays the seller.
1 · Custody
Your BTC, ETH or stablecoins stay in custody
2 · Loan
From a licensed bank or regulated platform
3 · Escrow
Fiat paid to an independent escrow agent
4 · Closing
Seller paid, title to you
Regulated banks: Switzerland and US
Banks under FINMA or US supervision. The strongest route for an aircraft: credit in USD, EUR or CHF, paid through banking channels any seller accepts.
Sygnum Bank AG ↗ Fiat loan
Zurich, Switzerland · also Singapore · FINMA-regulated bank
Lombard loans against digital assets for qualified clients; borrow in USD, CHF or EUR; repay or extend at any time; no rehypothecation of collateral.
LTV by asset (Feb 2026 list): BTC 65%, ETH 50%, USDT and USDC 90%; other assets on request.
AMINA Bank AG ↗ Fiat loan
Zug, Switzerland · FINMA-regulated · branch in ADGM, Abu Dhabi
Fixed-term and roll-over loans secured by crypto (BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, stablecoins) and by securities, held in segregated custody. Larger loans may be syndicated.
Minimum loan CHF 200,000, tranches of CHF 100,000; rate depends on LTV and term.
Dukascopy Bank SA ↗ Fiat loan
Geneva, Switzerland · FINMA-regulated bank
Crypto lending and borrowing inside the bank account: fiat credit against BTC and ETH held with the bank.
Up to about 50% of the crypto value.
Swissquote Bank Ltd ↗ Fiat loan
Gland, Switzerland · FINMA-regulated bank
Lombard loans against pledged positions, including crypto, for institutions, funds, asset managers and financial professionals; CHF, EUR, USD and other currencies.
LTV and rates on request; interest charged only on the amount used.
Arab Bank (Switzerland) Ltd ↗ Fiat loan
Geneva, Switzerland · FINMA-regulated private bank
Has offered bitcoin and ether trading and custody to private clients since 2019. Credit against digital assets is assessed within its private banking relationship.
On request.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. ↗ Institutional
United States · federally regulated bank
Accepts crypto ETF shares as loan collateral. The Financial Times (July 2025) and Bloomberg (October 2025) reported plans to let institutional clients pledge bitcoin and ether directly, held by a third-party custodian.
Individual approval; institutional and private bank clients.
UAE banks: crypto-friendly infrastructure
These banks are not crypto lenders for aircraft. Their role is the fiat side: accounts, conversion of digital assets from licensed platforms into AED, USD or EUR, and settlement of large transactions in the UAE.
Emirates NBD Bank PJSC ↗ Fiat settlement
Dubai, UAE
Crypto trading in its Liv X app since 2025, built with regulated infrastructure partners; onboarding for compliant clients.
RAKBANK ↗ Fiat settlement
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
The first conventional UAE bank to offer retail crypto trading in its banking app, through a partnership with Bitpanda.
First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC ↗ Fiat settlement
Abu Dhabi, UAE
The UAE's largest bank; corporate, private banking and structured finance; partner in a dirham-backed stablecoin initiative with ADQ and IHC.
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC ↗ Fiat settlement
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Banking partner of a regulated AED on- and off-ramp between UAE bank accounts and a major crypto platform (June 2026).
Up to AED 7.2 million per day, same business day settlement.
Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC ↗ Fiat settlement
Dubai, UAE
Partnership with Crypto.com to develop Sharia-compliant digital asset products.
Established CeFi platforms
Licensed or registered lenders that hold your collateral and pay out in fiat or stablecoins. Check the payout currency, the countries served and whether the collateral is rehypothecated.
Coinbase, Inc. ↗ Stablecoin payout
United States · also UK
Borrow USDC against BTC, ETH and cbETH, executed onchain through the Morpho protocol; institutional financing through Coinbase Prime.
Up to $5 million per borrower; variable rate; US (except New York) since 2025, UK since April 2026; over $2.17 billion originated by April 2026.
Nexo ↗ Stablecoin payout
International · returned to the US in February 2026
Crypto-backed credit lines with multiple collateral types; Private Clients service with a relationship manager.
Private Clients from $100,000 in assets.
Ledn ↗ Fiat loan
International
Bitcoin-backed loans with collateral held in custody by BitGo Trust; no rehypothecation; record origination volumes in 2025.
Max LTV 50%; from $1,000; fixed 12-month terms.
Arch Lending ↗ Fiat loan
United States
Loans against BTC, ETH, SOL and XRP; powered by Anchorage Digital Bank.
BTC: 60% starting LTV, margin call at 70%, partial liquidation at 80%; up to 12 months; not available in some US states.
Unchained ↗ Fiat loan
United States
Bitcoin-only loans with 2-of-3 multisignature collaborative custody; the lender cannot rehypothecate the collateral.
LTV about 40-50%; terms 3 to 60 months.
SALT Lending ↗ Fiat loan
United States · NMLS 1711910
Cash loans against bitcoin and ether; state-licensed lender.
LTV options 30%, 50% or 70%; terms 1, 3 or 5 years.
Figure ↗ Fiat loan
United States · NMLS 1717824 · international via Figure Markets Credit
Crypto-backed loans against BTC, ETH and SOL from a licensed lender.
Best pricing at 50% LTV; from $5,000; 12-month interest-only; excluded in some US states.
DeFi protocols
Smart-contract lending without a company as counterparty. Payout is in stablecoins; liquidation is automatic. Useful for professionals as part of a structure, never as the only route for an aircraft.
Sky (formerly MakerDAO) ↗ Protocol
Decentralised protocol
Borrowing of USDS or DAI stablecoins against collateral vaults; rebranded from MakerDAO in 2024.
Aave ↗ Protocol
Decentralised protocol
The largest decentralised lending protocol; borrowing against ETH and wrapped bitcoin; protocol-set LTV parameters.
Compound ↗ Protocol
Decentralised protocol
Overcollateralised lending on Ethereum; institutional access through regulated custodians.
Institutional lending desks
For funds, corporates, family offices and large private clients. Some lend for any purpose; exchange desks lend only for trading on the exchange.
Galaxy Digital ↗ Institutional
United States
Institutional lending; a revolving Crypto Portfolio Line of Credit for eligible US clients through GalaxyOne (August 2026), against BTC, ETH and staked SOL.
Line of credit at a fixed 8.99% APR, no origination fee.
Cantor Fitzgerald ↗ Institutional
United States
A bitcoin financing business launched in 2025 with $2 billion capacity; first loans to FalconX and Maple; custody with Copper and Anchorage.
Institutional tickets from about $1 million.
BitGo ↗ Institutional
United States
BitGo Prime financing (April 2026): crypto-backed loans against BTC, ETH, SOL and stablecoins, portfolio-based financing, financing against staked positions.
Institutional eligibility.
FalconX ↗ Institutional
United States
Institutional prime brokerage and credit; a $1 billion warehouse facility with Ethena to expand lending capacity.
Institutional eligibility.
Binance ↗ Trading only
International exchange
Institutional Loan for KYB-verified VIP clients, pooled collateral across sub-accounts.
$1-10 million, borrowed in USDT or USDC for margin and futures trading.
OKX ↗ Trading only
International exchange
Institutional lending and a collateral mirroring programme with Standard Chartered.
Bybit ↗ Trading only
International exchange
Crypto loans and Institutional Loans, including tokenised stocks as collateral.
Published terms from each institution's own pages or announcements, checked 17 October 2026. Listing does not mean a partnership, endorsement or offer. Exchange loans are for trading only and cannot pay for an aircraft.
Press
What the Financial Press Reports
◆ Financial Times, July 2025: JPMorgan explored loans secured directly by clients' bitcoin and ether.
◆ Bloomberg, October 2025: JPMorgan planned to accept bitcoin and ether as collateral for institutional clients, held by a third-party custodian.
◆ Forbes, July 2026: lenders say demand is strong and funding accessible; pre-approval helps buyers compete for good aircraft.
FAQ
Aircraft Finance: Questions
How much down payment does an aircraft loan need?
Specialist aviation lenders often finance 75-85% of the price, so 15-25% down. Private banks usually want 50% of your own funds, sometimes 70%. Leases can need little or nothing upfront.
How old can a financed aircraft be?
Many banks finance aircraft up to 15 years old, some only up to 5. Specialist lenders and leases can work with older aircraft that have complete records.
How much can I borrow against bitcoin?
It depends on the lender. Published examples: Sygnum lists 65% for BTC, Dukascopy up to about 50%, Ledn a maximum of 50%. Stablecoins usually get higher ratios.
Can a crypto exchange loan pay for an aircraft?
No. Exchange loans such as Binance, OKX or Bybit institutional loans are for trading on the exchange only.
Which aircraft registries do lenders accept?
Lenders favour registries with clear security interests, such as the FAA N-registry, Isle of Man, Malta, San Marino, Aruba and Cayman. Cape Town Convention states add protection for the lender.
What protects my money at closing?
An independent escrow agent holds the funds; they are released only when inspection, title and registration conditions are met.
ICCJET · Aviation Investment & Asset Finance
Write one message. We do the rest.
Tell us what you want to buy and roughly how you want to pay. We reply with assets that fit and the ways to finance them.
Form, email to info@icc-jet.com or WhatsApp. Your request stays confidential; requests with proof of funds go first.
Aircraft financing with ICCJET · Compare 21 aircraft registries · Aircraft for sale
Important notice. ICCJET is not a bank and does not take deposits from the public. Assets are acquired through dedicated companies funded by partner banks, lenders and investors; ICCJET acts as arranger and as manager of the physical asset, not as an investment manager of securities. Bank debt, Lombard and digital asset-backed loans, custody and escrow are provided by licensed institutions under their own terms and approval. Investor participation is available only to eligible professional investors under the rules of their jurisdiction. Nothing on this page is an offer of securities, credit or investment advice. Institutions named on this page are listed for information only. Terms depend on due diligence, including KYC, AML and sanctions checks. Digital assets are volatile and loans secured by them can be liquidated. Tax outcomes depend on jurisdiction.
Page checked 17 October 2026.
