Candy’s Next Era: Takeaways from Tad Smith on Sporting Crypto

Candy Digital is entering a new chapter.

On a recent episode of the Sporting Crypto Podcast, Candy CEO Tad Smith joined host Pet Berisha for a wide-ranging conversation on Candy’s future, the digital collectibles market, and what it will take to rebuild the category around stronger fundamentals.

The conversation covered Candy’s reboot, the move to Solana, royalty enforcement, self-custody, scarcity, secondary market liquidity, sports collectibles, non-sports IP, and art.

More than anything, it offered a clear look at how Candy is approaching what comes next.

Not as a return to the last cycle. As a reset.

A New Chapter for Candy

Candy’s story has always been tied to major IP, passionate fans, and the belief that digital collectibles can create new ways to own and experience culture.

But the market has changed. The broader NFT space has gone through major shifts. Collectors have become more selective. Platforms have had to rethink what creates lasting value.

Candy is now doing that work under new leadership.

The focus is straightforward: build a more sustainable business, give fans more control over their assets, and create a stronger foundation for the next era of digital collecting.

That starts with trust.

Collectors want to know that the platform is moving with purpose. Licensors want confidence that their IP is protected. Fans want a better experience. The market needs more than hype.

It needs structure.

That is the opportunity in front of Candy.

Why Digital Collectibles Still Matter

One of the strongest themes from the podcast was the idea that collectibles do not need to produce cash flow to have value.

Collectors already understand this.

A baseball card can matter. A signed jersey can matter. A comic can matter. A painting can matter. A digital collectible can matter too.

Value comes from scarcity, story, ownership, culture, and demand. It comes from the moment itself and what that moment means to the person collecting it.

That is where Candy still has a meaningful role to play.

The goal is not to convince fans that collecting matters. Fans already know that.

The goal is to make digital collecting feel more trusted, more liquid, more secure, and more connected to the IP and moments fans care about most.

The Move to Solana

Candy’s upcoming migration to Solana using Metaplex Core is a major part of the company’s next phase.

The move is centered around a few key priorities:

Self-custody
Scarcity
Liquidity
Royalty enforcement

For collectors, self-custody means more direct ownership. Assets should not feel locked inside a closed system. Fans should have the ability to hold their collectibles in their own wallets and take them with them.

For the market, liquidity matters because collectors need confidence when they buy, sell, and value their assets.

For licensors and creators, royalty enforcement matters because IP holders and artists should continue to participate when collectibles trade on secondary markets.

This is one of the core structural changes behind Candy’s reboot.

Candy can focus on creating and issuing great collectibles while giving fans access to a broader, more open ecosystem for ownership and secondary market activity.

Building Around Scarcity

Another major theme from the conversation was supply.

The digital collectibles space has learned a hard lesson: more product does not always mean more value.

When platforms rely too heavily on primary drops, the market can become crowded. Scarcity weakens. Secondary activity slows. Collectors lose confidence.

Candy’s next chapter is being built with a more disciplined approach.

That means more thoughtful releases, tighter supply, stronger collecting mechanics, and a greater focus on the secondary market.

The long-term goal is not just to release collectibles.

It is to create a healthier collector economy.

One where the primary market is meaningful, the secondary market has room to grow, and fans feel like what they collect has a reason to matter over time.

Making Collecting More Fun

A better market also needs a better experience.

Collecting has always been about more than ownership. It is about the chase, the timing, the story, and the feeling of landing something special.

That is why Candy is also thinking about formats that make collecting more dynamic.

Auctions were one example discussed on the podcast. Drops can still play an important role, but auctions bring a different kind of energy. They create competition, urgency, and price discovery in a way collectors already understand from cards, memorabilia, and art.

The next era of Candy should feel more interactive, more intentional, and more fun for fans who want to chase the moments and IP they care about.

Sports Collectibles Remain a Major Opportunity

Sports remain one of Candy’s strongest foundations.

The traditional sports collectibles market has already proven how powerful fandom, scarcity, and cultural moments can be. Baseball cards, memorabilia, autographs, and game-worn items have built massive collector communities over generations.

Digital collectibles can build on that same emotional connection while reducing some of the friction that comes with physical collecting.

Shipping, storage, authentication, geography, and trust between buyers and sellers all create barriers in traditional markets. Digital collectibles can make ownership and movement faster, clearer, and more accessible.

For Candy, that opportunity starts with the moments fans already love.

Rookie debuts. Historic milestones. Signature plays. Season-defining highlights. The kinds of moments that deserve to be collected.

MLB Gems showed how strong that format can be. Candy’s next era has the chance to build on that foundation with more thoughtful mechanics, stronger ownership, and a clearer path for long-term value.

Non-Sports Collectibles Matter Too

Candy’s future is not limited to sports.

Non-sports collectibles are an important part of the broader vision, especially when they are tied to passionate fan communities and meaningful IP.

That includes comic culture, entertainment, character-driven fandoms, and digital collectibles that represent more than a single asset.

The Batman Cowls were a clear example from the conversation. Communities like that show how digital collectibles can become part of fan identity, not just fan ownership.

The strongest non-sports collectibles give fans a way to say they were there, they care, and they are part of the story.

That kind of connection matters.

And it gives Candy room to build across sports, comics, entertainment, and culture in a more intentional way.

Art Belongs in the Conversation

Art was another important part of the discussion.

Candy’s next era is not only about sports or entertainment IP. It also sits within a much larger conversation about creativity, ownership, and how artists are supported in digital markets.

Royalty enforcement is central to that.

If creators, artists, and rights holders are going to participate in digital collectibles long term, they need confidence that their work and IP will be respected beyond the initial sale.

That has been one of the biggest challenges in the broader NFT market.

Solving it is important not just for Candy, but for the category as a whole.

Digital collectibles can only reach their full potential if the infrastructure works for collectors, licensors, creators, and artists.

Rebuilding Trust Through Action

The Candy community has been through a lot.

That reality has to be acknowledged. Fans have waited for clarity. Collectors have asked tough questions. The next chapter has to be earned through action, not just announcements.

The current focus is on doing what has been communicated: supporting the burn window, moving through account reactivation, preparing for migration, relaunching the platform, and giving collectors a path toward self-custody.

Each step matters.

Trust comes from consistency. It comes from clear communication. It comes from saying what is going to happen, then following through.

That is the work now underway.

The Road Ahead

Candy’s next era is being built around a different set of priorities.

More ownership for fans.
More scarcity for collectors.
More liquidity for the market.
More protection for licensors and creators.
More sustainable economics for the platform.

The digital collectibles space does not need to repeat the last cycle to grow again. It needs better infrastructure, better supply discipline, better market design, and a better collector experience.

That is where Candy is focused.

Sports, non-sports, entertainment, comics, art, and culture all have a place in this next chapter.

The foundation is being rebuilt. The direction is clearer. And Candy is moving forward.

Check out Tad's appearance on the Sporting Crypto Podcast: