DigiTalk Podcast EP21 Recap : What’s Next for Ethereum After the Pectra Upgrade?

The recent DigiTalk Episode 21 podcast assembled a forward-thinking panel of Web3 founders and builders from Cryfi App, BitSky Services, and Suede AI for an in-depth exploration of “What’s Next for Ethereum After the Pectra Upgrade?” The conversation explored the future of Ethereum after the Pectra upgrade. Hear from leading builders as they share deep insights on the changes, impact, and ideas sparked by this upgrade.

Q1: Can you start by giving an overview of your project?

Cryfi app

Cryfi app is a marketplace and signal aggregator platform where traders and bots can monetize their skills through on-chain verified signal trading. Users can access free trials, view public leaderboards, and interact with trusted signals without manual copying. The platform addresses the problem of scammy trading signals by recording every signal immutably on-chain. With over 40,000 users, Cryfi app is launching its token through a fair community-driven model this month.

SUEDE AI

SUEDE AI is a generative AI platform for music creators, offering tools for both AI-generated and traditional musicians to monetize their work. The platform leverages blockchain for microtransactions, transparent royalties, and easier access to monetization. SUEDE AI recently bridged from SVM to EVM to take advantage of Ethereum's tooling and features, especially those coming with the Pectra upgrade.

Bitsky Services

Bitsky Services is a Web3-native platform focused on connecting KOLs, projects, and capital through their SocialFi protocol. They aim to build trust and value in digital relationships by facilitating transparent, purpose-driven community engagement. They’re also hosting roundtable events to bridge on-chain and off-chain communities and expanding their ecosystem through more collabs like this AMA.

Q2: What does the Pectra upgrade represent to you — a narrative shift, a technical unlock, or a cultural evolution in how Ethereum is positioning itself?

Bitsky Services

Pectra represents Ethereum finally showing up to the party with a UX-friendly approach. It’s not just about dev tools anymore — it’s about user experience, gas simplification, and onboarding improvements. EIP-3074 introduces delegation and meta-transactions, taking Ethereum from obscure dev culture to something everyday users can actually engage with. The upgrade sends a signal that Ethereum understands usability is just as important as technical prowess. Culturally, it marks a shift toward intentional adoption, not reluctant interaction. It's Ethereum saying: "Here’s a better wallet and smoother flows — let's go mainstream."

SUEDE AI

All three elements — technical, narrative, and cultural — are relevant. Ethereum’s long been a settlement layer, especially for institutional use, but Pectra enhances creative sovereignty. It abstracts away technical complexity for artists, enabling automated royalty management and other backend flows. For SUEDE AI, that means empowering artists to stay focused on their work while Web3 infrastructure does the heavy lifting. This upgrade is about giving users and creators full sovereignty over their ideas and creative outputs, something that's long overdue.

Cryfi app

From a product design standpoint, the biggest impact of Pectra is its UX focus. Finally, we’re seeing upgrades that directly affect end users — not just devs and infra people. Crypto’s been around for more than 10 years, but it’s still hard to use. Now, Ethereum is leading a shift where blockchain tools are becoming usable and understandable. Hopefully, other chains follow suit. Pectra proves Ethereum isn’t resting on its laurels — it’s continuing to innovate, but now with the user at the center.

Q3: Is your project adapting or building differently with Pectra on the horizon? What specific upgrade features could impact your roadmap?

Cryfi app

Although we launched on Solana, Cryfi app will integrate Ethereum and other chains. Pectra’s account abstraction, particularly the ability to program the wallet, is very useful for us. We operate on subscriptions for both signal channels and premium tools, and programmable wallets simplify subscription logic. With EIP-3074 and EIP-7702, we can make payments, royalties, and onboarding much smoother, especially for MetaMask users. We’re also very interested in automatic royalty handling for our signal providers.

SUEDE AI:

We started as a multi-chain platform and chose to bridge to EVM specifically to leverage Ethereum’s capabilities. EIP-3074 will allow for gasless publishing, delegated remix rights, and automated royalty splits — this creates a frictionless experience for creators. It’s important because many of our users aren’t native to Web3, and these features will help bridge the gap. It also allows modularity: users don’t need to think about which token or wallet to use — the smart contract can manage all that.

Bitsky Services

We’re not just adapting — we’re dressing up for the occasion. Pectra gives us the tools to rethink onboarding entirely. For our SocialFi layer, it's about going from “install this, sign that” to “tap once and you’re in.” That UX simplicity reinforces trust and stickiness for users, KOLs, and projects alike. We’re also aligning the Pectra energy with our upcoming IRL roundtables to discuss how this new phase can bring more builders and communities into Ethereum.

Q4: Do you see Pectra fueling a new wave of ecosystem participation, or are we still in a builder-only phase? What's different this time vs. post-Shanghai or Merge?

Bitsky Services

This time it feels like the velvet rope is coming down. Post-Merge and Shanghai were infra-focused — insiders exchanging high fives. Pectra says, "Come on in, snacks are ready." We’re seeing a slow but steady shift toward real users showing up. This isn’t just hype; it’s the first upgrade where UX is clearly prioritized. The onboarding barriers are dropping, and people are ready to explore.

SUEDE AI

Totally agree. Previous upgrades were backend-focused and didn’t bring much change for everyday users. Pectra is different — it’s finally making Ethereum usable. That opens the door for mass-market use cases like music, art, and culture. With on-chain streaming and tools for creators becoming more user-friendly, this upgrade marks a transition point.

Cryfi app

Ethereum has simplified itself, which means simplifying blockchain for everyone. Users no longer need ETH to interact with dApps — that’s massive. This unlocks a wave of super basic, highly usable apps that can onboard Web2 users: social tools, calendars, payment interfaces. At the same time, complex apps like DeFi become more approachable. We’re finally moving from “power users only” to “apps for everyone.”

Q5:Does this upgrade create opportunities for specific token narratives or sectors? What should traders or retail users be watching that the market hasn’t priced in yet?

SUEDE AI

RWA is a big opportunity — especially for digitizable assets like intellectual property. But here’s some alpha: Create-to-Earn is the next big trend. With Pectra’s account abstraction and programmable royalties, platforms like SUEDE AI can turn artists into their own record labels. It’s simpler, automated, and finally realistic. Unlike DeFi or LPs, Create-to-Earn resonates with Web2 creatives and has mainstream appeal.

Cryfi app

Agreed. We’ll see a boom in both ends of the app spectrum — super simple and super advanced. Calendars, cab-hailing, messaging apps, all rebuilt with Web3 in mind. On the other end, DeFi tools become more usable for regular people. Before, even some crypto folks avoided DeFi. With smoother onboarding and better wallets, more users can explore and benefit.

Bitsky Services

Don’t just track TVL — look at UX. If wallets become identity hubs, login methods, and loyalty programs all in one, that’s where the next wave of token narratives will form. Projects that make blockchain invisible — background tech — will shine. That includes social reputation, modular identity, and creator-focused platforms.

Q6: Zooming out, what does Pectra tell us about Ethereum’s direction over the next 1–2 years? Is the modular vision becoming more clear or more complex?

Bitsky Services

It’s both clearer and more complex. We’re seeing the pixels now — like upgrading to 4K. But it’s still scattered. The big question is: who puts the Lego pieces together for users? Ethereum's modularity needs IKEA-style onboarding — something even grandma can follow. Until then, we risk alienating users with complexity.

SUEDE AI

Modularity is a feature, not a bug. Ethereum is prioritizing experience over control, which may be risky short-term but brings long-term value. We shouldn’t need to think about chains or bridges — the protocol should abstract it away. That’s where we see onboarding scale.

Cryfi app

In the end, it’s all about design. The tech is there, but now the differentiator is usability. We saw this in Web2 with Airbnb and Uber — better design meant more revenue. Blockchain is heading the same way. Apps need to be delightful, simple, and human-centered. That’s where Ethereum is pointing, and it’s what will unlock the next wave.

Q7: If you had to place one bet — not financial, but thematic — on what Pectra leads to next, what would it be?

SUEDE AI

Music will be the first real-world bridge. With just an internet connection, anyone can monetize their creativity using tools like SUEDE AI. Create-to-Earn is more compelling than Play-to-Earn because it brings cultural contribution, not just engagement. Expect a wave of creator tokens and IP-backed projects.

Cryfi app

SocialFi is the next frontier. While RWAs and memes have dominated, SocialFi hasn’t yet found its defining form. Blockchain will finally offer fair compensation for contributions — whether you’re a trader, artist, or influencer. As people tire of Web2 platforms that underpay them, they’ll turn to Web3 for ownership and rewards.

Bitsky Services

Wallets will become the center of everything: your login, reputation score, content hub, loyalty tracker. With better UX and smart contracts handling complexity, wallets will shift from passive tools to active identity layers. We’ll see projects reimagining the wallet as the new digital OS for Web3 life.

Conclusion

DigiTalk EP21 made it clear: the Pectra upgrade is a pivotal moment not just for Ethereum, but for the broader Web3 ecosystem. By shifting focus from infrastructure to usability, Pectra lays the groundwork for real-world adoption and creative innovation. Whether it's empowering artists through Create-to-Earn, enabling trust-based SocialFi layers, or turning wallets into modular identity hubs — the future of Ethereum looks more inclusive, accessible, and modular than ever. As the dust settles post-upgrade, one thing is certain: Ethereum isn’t just building for developers anymore — it’s building for everyone.