Pi Network’s 2025: Most Impactful Updates & Developments

In 2025, Pi Network completed its transition from a long-running enclosed test environment to a fully operational Open Network, marking the most significant year in the project’s history. The launch of Open Mainnet, exchange listings, ecosystem funding, and developer tooling collectively shifted Pi from a mobile mining experiment into an active Layer-1 blockchain with live token transfers and on-chain applications. 

This article examines the most important Pi Network developments in 2025, explains why they matter, and assesses what the year revealed about the project’s technical and economic direction.

From Enclosed Network to Open Mainnet

Open Network (Mainnet) Launch: February 19, 2025

After several years of delays, primarily due to identity verification and infrastructure readiness, Pi Network launched its Mainnet on February 19, 2025. The transition removed transfer restrictions, allowing PI tokens to move freely between wallets and external platforms.

The Open Network launch followed the project’s requirement that at least 10 million users complete Know Your Customer (KYC) verification. The migration grace period ended on January 31, 2025, enabling the final batch of eligible balances to be moved to Mainnet wallets.

The immediate market response was volatile. PI prices rose sharply in the first few days after launch, then fell as early holders unlocked and transferred tokens. By August, approximately 157.8 million PI had entered circulation in a single unlock event, valued at roughly $66 million at the time. Additional monthly unlocks continued through the end of the year.

The Open Network launch fundamentally changed Pi’s economic model. For the first time, years of mobile mining activity translated into a transferable digital asset. At the same time, price volatility exposed the risks of delayed liquidity and concentrated unlock schedules. The shift placed new pressure on Pi’s ecosystem to generate real demand through applications, payments, and services rather than reliance on speculation.

Exchange Listings and Market Exposure

PI Listings on Centralized Exchanges: February to March 2025

Shortly after Mainnet opened, PI began trading on several centralized exchanges, including Bitget, OKX, and MEXC. The listings brought PI into the broader cryptocurrency market, where its price became increasingly sensitive to macro conditions, including movements in Bitcoin and broader risk sentiment. Analysts flagged several bearish technical patterns during mid-year drawdowns, while accumulation phases followed major unlock events.

Exchange listings provided liquidity and global price discovery, ending years of informal IOU trading and unofficial markets. However, they also removed Pi’s insulation from wider market cycles. The experience reinforced the project’s stated focus on utility-driven token demand, as liquidity alone proved insufficient to support price stability amid large supply increases.

Ecosystem Funding and Strategic Investments

Pi Network Ventures and the $100 Million Fund

In early 2025, Pi Network announced the creation of Pi Network Ventures, backed by a $100 million fund dedicated to supporting applications built on or integrated with the Pi ecosystem. The fund prioritized projects in artificial intelligence, gaming, and decentralized infrastructure.

Among the disclosed investments were OpenMind, a decentralized AI robotics initiative announced in October, and CiDi Games, a Web3 gaming studio backed in November. Both projects emphasized using Pi Nodes for computation or in-app economic activity.

The venture fund marked a shift from passive community growth to targeted ecosystem development. By financing external teams rather than building everything internally, Pi Network aimed to accelerate utility creation while preserving decentralization. The approach also highlighted a potential secondary role for Pi Nodes as distributed compute resources, expanding their function beyond consensus participation.

AI-Driven Improvements to KYC and Validation

Addressing the Network’s Largest Bottleneck

Throughout 2025, Pi Network introduced multiple AI-assisted upgrades to its KYC and validation systems. These included:

• Fast-track KYC in September to reduce wallet activation times.
• AI-assisted Standard KYC updates in December, cutting queue lengths by roughly 50 percent. 
• Resolution of approximately 3.36 million tentative KYC cases in October

As a result, more than 2.69 million additional users completed Mainnet migration during the year. Validator reward enhancements were announced but deferred to early 2026.

Over the years, KYC delays have been Pi Network’s most persistent operational issue, limiting access to Mainnet balances and ecosystem applications. Automating portions of identity verification allowed Pi to scale while maintaining its one-person-one-account model, a core design principle intended to reduce fraud and regulatory risk.

Developer Activity and Community Innovation

Pi Hackathon 2025

The first post-Mainnet Pi Hackathon ran from August through October and received more than 215 submissions. The top three winners were announced on December 11:

• Blind_Lounge – a privacy-focused social application
• Starmax – a loyalty and rewards platform
• RUN FOR PI – a mobile game with in-game PI spending mechanics

Several additional projects received honorable mentions.

The hackathon demonstrated that Pi’s developer tools were mature enough to support independent application development. Many submissions focused on direct token use, reinforcing the network’s emphasis on utility rather than passive holding. Importantly, these projects were community-led rather than centrally managed, aligning with decentralization goals.

Decentralized Finance on Testnet

DEX and AMM Features: October 1, 2025

In October, Pi Network introduced Decentralized Exchange (DEX), Automated Market Maker (AMM), and token creation tools on Testnet. A user interface update in December improved accessibility and usability for non-technical users.

These features remained confined to Testnet throughout 2025, with no confirmed timeline for Mainnet deployment. The Testnet rollout allowed users to experiment with DeFi mechanics without financial risk.

This measured approach reflected lessons from other ecosystems where rushed DeFi launches led to exploits and user losses. If deployed on Mainnet, these tools could support on-chain liquidity and application-level tokens while expanding Pi’s functionality beyond payments.

No-Code Development and Node Expansion

Pi App Studio and Node Updates

At Pi2Day on June 30, Pi Network launched Pi App Studio, a no-code development environment supported by AI assistance. November updates added the ability to download and upload source code, bridging the gap between no-code users and traditional developers.

Node software also saw multiple updates in 2025:

• Node v0.5.4 improved performance and reward calculations
• A Linux Node release in August expanded accessibility for advanced users

Lowering technical barriers to entry increased the pool of potential developers, particularly among Pi’s existing user base. Node improvements strengthened decentralization while laying the groundwork for compute-intensive tasks, including AI workloads supported by venture-backed projects.

Protocol Upgrades and Governance Tools

Throughout 2025, Pi Network upgraded Testnet protocol versions and embedded distributed KYC functionality at the protocol level. Additional tools, including an Ecosystem Dashboard and staking mechanisms, were announced during Pi2Day but were not fully deployed by year-end.

Protocol-level KYC integration reinforced Pi’s identity-first architecture. Staking mechanisms introduced incentives for long-term participation during periods of heavy token unlocks, signaling a gradual move toward more formalized on-chain economic controls.

Visibility, Market Dynamics, and Ongoing Challenges

Pi Network maintained a visible public profile in 2025. Founder Chengdiao Fan spoke at TOKEN2049 in October, emphasizing practical utility in AI-blockchain integration. Seasonal initiatives in December promoted commerce and in-app spending.

Despite ecosystem progress, market pressures remained significant. More than 100 million PI tokens were unlocked in December alone, contributing to sustained selling pressure. While ecosystem activity absorbed some supply, price volatility persisted.

Conclusion

By the end of 2025, Pi Network had completed its transition to an Open Network, established external market pricing, and laid the foundation for a utility-driven ecosystem. The year exposed structural challenges, particularly around token unlocks and market volatility, but also demonstrated measurable progress in KYC scalability, developer participation, and infrastructure maturity. 

Pi is entering 2026 as a functioning blockchain with active users, live applications, and defined economic mechanisms, moving beyond its original mining-only model.

Sources:

• Pi Network Blog: Key Updates in 2025
• X Account: Key Announcements