Pi (π) Cryptocurrency Pioneering a New Era of Blockchain in the Smartphone Age

What is Pi Network, the project that overturned conventional wisdom about mining

Pi Network, developed by a team of researchers at Stanford University, was born in 2019 with the theme of “opening up cryptocurrencies to more people.” The joint project by Dr. Nikola Kokalis and Dr. Chendiao Fan directly addresses the issues of traditional mining structures.

In conventional mining, high-performance computing equipment and deep technical knowledge were prerequisites for participation. Power consumption was enormous, and only users with investment capacity could access this domain. Pi’s approach is entirely different. With just a tap on a button in a smartphone app, anyone can participate in mining without complex technical knowledge.

This innovative system has been highly praised, and currently, over 60 million users worldwide are participating in the Pi Network ecosystem.

Relationship between Pi Network and Pi Coin

The term Pi Network refers to the “entire platform,” but Pi Coin is the cryptocurrency that functions within it. It has a structure similar to ETH on the Ethereum network. Pi handles the following functions:

• Value transfer within the network
• Payment method within applications
• Value foundation for future ecosystem expansion

In other words, the value creation of Pi Coin depends on the existence and functionality of the Pi Network platform.

Smartphone era mining: technical basis

Stellar Consensus Protocol and low consumption design

The greatest technical achievement of Pi Network is the adoption of the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP). Unlike Bitcoin’s Proof of Work, SCP has the following characteristics:

• Significantly reduces power consumption
• Technically feasible on smartphones
• Maintains transaction processing efficiency

This design has transitioned the concept of full-scale mining participation using mobile devices from theory to implementation.

Trust-based verification by Security Circles

Pi Network relies on a trust network among users rather than computational power for security. By registering people you actually know, it achieves:

• Significant reduction of bot accounts
• Deterrence of impersonation
• Prevention of illegal mining

This human network-based verification mechanism is a relatively new approach in the cryptocurrency field.

User participation modes and role division

In Pi Network, four participation roles are set according to the level of involvement:

Basic Participant (Pioneer): Users who check in daily and perform minimal mining operations

Extended Participant (Contributor): Add trusted contacts to Security Circles and contribute to network stability

Community Promoter (Ambassador): Promote community expansion through inviting new users, with opportunities to increase mining rewards

Infrastructure Operator (Node Operator): Run nodes on PCs to support network decentralization and data processing

This hierarchical participation structure allows users from beginners to advanced to gradually engage with the ecosystem.

Token economics and liquidity structure

Supply design and distribution strategy

The total issuance cap of Pi Coin is set at 1 billion coins. The distribution ratio is as follows:

• To the community: 80%

  • Smartphone mining rewards
  • Incentives for ecosystem growth
  • Reserve for liquidity assurance

• To the development team: 20%

  • Project operation costs
  • Investment in technical development

An important point is that the holdings of the development team are gradually unlocked. This mechanism prevents sudden price surges or drops caused by large-scale market supply.

Current trading status and challenges of Pi Coin

Post-mainnet transition trading environment

With the launch of the mainnet on February 20, 2025, Pi Coin has become technically capable of actual transfers and transactions. It is now listed on multiple international exchanges, and users who complete KYC verification can transfer Pi to the mainnet wallet.

Points to note during transactions:

• Blockchain transfers are irreversible if the address is entered incorrectly
• Initial small test transfers are recommended
• For large sales, splitting into multiple transactions can mitigate price fluctuations

Liquidity and exchange listing limitations

A major challenge is that, as of 2025, major international exchanges have not yet fully listed Pi Coin. Several large platforms remain cautious due to:

• Difficulty in accurately understanding the user base
• Complexity in external evaluation due to the unique mining method
• Lack of transparency information about the project

As a result, liquidity remains limited, and price volatility continues to be high.

Future growth potential and uncertainties

Gradual decentralization process

After 2025, Pi Network is promoting phased decentralization. Increasing the number of nodes is expected to reduce network centralization, leading to:

• Reduced dependence on specific management entities
• Strengthened network resilience
• Improved security robustness

However, the degree of decentralization and related operational changes are still in transition, and future policies could significantly alter the outlook.

Expansion of developer infrastructure

The Pi App Studio update in November 2025 greatly simplified application development on the platform:

• Local environment code editing and re-upload
• Improved user interface
• Increased limit on apps per developer
• Expanded Pi allocation limits

These changes lay the groundwork for dApp development and small-scale service experiments on Pi, aiming to increase practical use cases.

Practical deployment within the ecosystem

In the Pi Browser environment, services that utilize Pi are gradually increasing:

• Buying and selling digital goods
• In-game item payments
• Microservice usage fees

However, mainstream applications with large user bases have yet to emerge, and it will take considerable time to gather objective data on user numbers and transaction volumes.

Risk awareness and market challenges

Concerns about invitation-based models

Pi Network’s community expansion relies on elements such as:

• Increased mining speed through invitations
• Dependence on network growth

Some voices compare this structure to multi-level marketing or Ponzi schemes. While the mechanism itself is not inherently unfair, participation without proper understanding can lead to excessive expectations, requiring caution.

Regulatory risks and exchange dependence

Pi Coin trading mainly depends on overseas exchanges, exposing it to different regulatory environments in each country:

• Sudden implementation of trading restrictions
• Potential service suspensions
• Additional KYC requirements

Choosing exchanges carefully is crucial for safety, making it an important decision factor.

Future outlook for Pi cryptocurrency

Pi Network is transitioning from a “smartphone mining app” to a “full-fledged blockchain platform.” Initially, the main appeal was “easy participation,” but future success depends on:

Growth factors:

• Increase in node count leading to true decentralization
• Organic expansion of the dApps ecosystem
• Listing on major exchanges in the future

Uncertainty factors:

• Emergence of practical, scalable applications
• Maturity of the developer community
• Changes in global regulatory environments

Whether Pi Coin can evolve from “asset earned through mining rewards” to “actively used currency” will be the key turning point in project evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What price might Pi Coin reach by 2030?
A: It’s impossible to predict. Market analysts estimate a wide range from $0.1 to $8, heavily influenced by network adoption.

Q: Is Pi Network reliable?
A: Opinions vary. The fact that it has a development team from academic backgrounds and has reached mainnet after several years is positive. However, concerns include the lack of major exchange listings, transparency issues, and the invitation structure.

Q: How does Pi mining specifically work?
A: Simply tap the app button every 24 hours. It does not use energy-intensive Proof of Work, thanks to the Stellar Consensus Protocol.

Summary

Pi Network is positioned as a project that significantly lowers barriers to participation in blockchain technology. Its smartphone-based mining mechanism redefines industry norms.

The 2025 mainnet launch marks a shift from “easy participation” to “practical usability.” The future value of Pi Coin depends on how many applications are built and actively used within the ecosystem.

When considering participation, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of risks and to focus on long-term project development rather than speculative expectations.