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- Debashree Patra
Debashree Patra
- Reviewed by:
Anjali BelgaumkarWriter by choice, CryptoCurrency Writer, and Researcher by chance. Currently, focusing on financial news and analysis, as well as cryptocurrency news and data. One may not call me a crypto “Enthusiast” but trust me I'm getting there.
- Feb 26, 2026 06:34 UTC
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Pi Network News: One Year Later, Is Pi Quietly Building a Real Blockchain Ecosystem?
One year after Open Network launch, Pi Network prioritizes KYC, migration, developer tools, and real-world utility over short-term price moves.
Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis outlines upgrades to Pi’s protocol, apps, and infrastructure as the team pushes long-term growth beyond token volatility.
Pi Network has completed one year since launching its Open Network, and its founders used the milestone to stress that their focus remains on building infrastructure and real-world use cases rather than chasing short-term price action.
From the very beginning, the project has faced doubt and controversy. Questions about its structure, rollout, and long-term vision have followed it closely, making its first year in the open market anything but quiet.
Pi Co-founder Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis boosts the Pi community with a detailed roadmap of ongoing work on KYC, migration, developer tools, protocol upgrades, and broader ecosystem growth.
While the project’s native token has experienced volatility, the core team continues to push forward with long-term development goals. In a recent video update, Kokkalis laid out how the team is prioritizing work that matters most to Pioneers and builders alike.
“What Pi Is Working On Now”
According to Kokkalis, the immediate priorities remain KYC verification and mainnet migration, which he described as fundamental to Pi’s broader vision. He explained that the team is increasing KYC throughput and speeding up verification processes, including “unblocking more users” and integrating advanced technologies like AI into the flow. This, he noted, will help more Pioneers fully participate in the Mainnet ecosystem without unnecessary delays.
“KYC and migration remain a top priority,” Kokkalis said, highlighting that completing identity verification is essential for ensuring the network’s integrity and enabling real usage of Pi tokens. He also mentioned expected KYC validator rewards coming soon, which aim to incentivize community participation and broaden verification coverage.
Building Tools for Developers
Beyond migration and identity work, Kokkalis stressed the importance of improving developer tools that make it easier to build on Pi’s blockchain.
“We’re lowering the barrier to building on Pi,” he said, noting that new utilities such as faster payment integrations and expanded development environments will help creators launch real applications.
This push aligns with the broader ecosystem’s growth; recent data shows Pi’s Mainnet now supports hundreds of live apps, and over 300 applications are reported running on the network.
Protocol Upgrades and Infrastructure
Kokkalis also touched on deeper technical work, including upgrades to the network protocol, node infrastructure, and future decentralized exchange (DEX) and liquidity pool components. These upgrades aim to transition Pi from a mobile mining project toward a fully functioning blockchain capable of supporting broad decentralized finance and commerce activity.
Utility Over Hype
Founders have repeatedly stressed that Pi’s approach is about utility and real use cases rather than speculation. This philosophy underpins the network’s design choices, from fully KYC-verified participation to ecosystem token models tied to real application usage rather than simple trading.
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FAQs
The Pi Network Open Network is the mainnet phase where Pi transitions from an enclosed system to a fully functional blockchain, enabling real-world transactions and external connectivity.
KYC verification is essential for ensuring network security and compliance, allowing Pioneers to migrate to the Mainnet and safely transact Pi tokens within the ecosystem.
Developers can build apps using Pi’s expanding toolkit, which includes faster payment integrations and development environments designed to lower technical barriers for creators.
The project prioritizes long-term utility and real-world use cases over short-term price action, focusing on building infrastructure to support commerce and applications.
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