The Pi Network launch date has been long promised — that might be changing, with the team officially announcing plans to launch Open Network in the first quarter of 2025.
In a late December 2024 blog post, Chengdiao Fan and Nicolas Kokkalis, the Founders of Pi Network, announced that the project now boasts over 18 million KYC-verified Pioneers, with more than 8 million already migrated to Mainnet.
They said Pi Network is on track to reach its migration goal of 10 million Pioneers by January or February 2025, thanks to improved Know Your Customer (KYC) and Mainnet migration numbers. This will make it possible for the Mainnet launch to take place in Q1.
Previously, the Pi Core Team had told its millions-strong army of ‘Pioneers’ to ensure they have migrated their testnet Pi coins to Mainnet by December 31 (potentially losing coins if they have not done so).
However, they have now extended both KYC and Mainnet Migration Grace Period deadlines to January 31, 2025, giving users one more month to complete the processes.
As Pi Network enters its final stages of preparation for the Mainnet launch, the question remains: will it fulfill its promise of becoming a mainstream cryptocurrency payment system?
With the Open Network launch anticipated in Q1 2025, the moment of truth is near. Let’s delve into what lies ahead.
Key Takeaways
- Pi Network has eventually announced Q1 2025 as the official ‘launch’ date for the project.
- Pi Network allows users to mine its cryptocurrency via mobile phones, aiming to make mining easy and accessible to everyone.
- As of January 2025, the project announced it had reached 18 million KYC’d people and 8 million people migrated to Mainnet.
- The open mainnet will enable Pi Coins ($PI) to be traded for other cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies.
The March to Mainnet: Pi Network’s Latest News
At the start of December, the Pi Core Team extended the “Grace Period” for users to complete KYC and move their Pi coins to the mainnet to December 31, 2024.
If Pioneers do not complete these steps, there is a possibility their Pi tokens (technically, “IOUs” of Pi tokens minted) will remain trapped on the testnet.
However, days before the December 31 deadline, the project announced that they are “extending both KYC and Mainnet Migration Grace Period deadlines to January 31, 2025, to help include more Pioneers and their Pi as we prepare for Open Network in Q1 2025.”
Grace Period Update Reminder: We’re extending both KYC and Mainnet Migration Grace Period deadlines to January 31, 2025 to help include more Pioneers and their Pi as we prepare for Open Network in Q1 2025! pic.twitter.com/gGtXU3qBEM
— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) December 24, 2024
Furthermore, in preparation for its Open Network launch in Q1 2025, Pi Network has introduced Mainnet Pi apps through the Ecosystem Interface on the Pi Browser. Currently, 20 apps are available for Pioneers to explore, with plans to expand this selection over time.
However, the project warned that users should proceed with caution, as they are not officially developed or endorsed by Pi Network. It also encouraged more developers to refine their apps and apply for inclusion in the Ecosystem Interface via the Pi Dev Portal.
As part of preparing for Open Network in Q1 2025, Pi Network made Mainnet Pi apps accessible through the Ecosystem Interface on the Pi Browser. An initial 20 Pi apps are included, with more apps to come in the future. Pioneers can explore these Mainnet Pi apps, but exercise… pic.twitter.com/8k7Iwos3zb
— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) December 27, 2024
What is certain is there is a crowd watching the Pi coin launch date.
With Pi’s unique approach to mining directly from a phone and its aims to become a payment project, Pi Network has accumulated a substantial following, claimed at 60m (although on-chain activity suggests the number is closer to 6m wallets).
The project has been hugely successful at attracting people to its mobile mining setup. Can the Pi Team replicate that success across its ecosystem? Let’s explore the team’s goals and the latest Pi news.
Why Pi Matters
Pi Network is a blockchain project that aims to democratize mining by making it accessible to anyone with a desktop or mobile device. The project’s native token is Pi Coin, which the team expects to be utilized for everyday transactions.
Users can mine PI using their smartphones. All they need to do is click on a button within the Pi Network app every 24 hours to show their active participation within the network.
Notably, unlike traditional digital currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and other proof-of-work (PoW) cryptocurrencies, Pi Coin does not require energy-intensive hardware to mine it. This explains why the token has been exceptionally successful in attracting a vast network of miners.
Pi Network’s Network Effects
The mining project has gained massive attention within the cryptocurrency community.
The project currently claims a massive user base of over 60 million — a population size that beats many countries — including 18 million KYC’d ‘Pioneers’ and 8 million people migrated to Mainnet.
If Twitter metrics alone were the important thing, the official Pi Network account is neck-and-neck with the Ethereum Foundation account, with both accounts boasting 3.5 million followers on X as of January 2025.
When is Pi Network Mainnet Launch Date?
Expected: Q1, 2025
As we said above, we expect 2025 to kick off the “Mainnet-only” period. However, it is not entirely clear if this will be considered a full launch, with a few key milestones to go.
The Pi team looks to have 100 mainnet-ready apps by the Pi Network open mainnet launch date, and the Pi App Incubator, which launched on September 13, 2024, looks to be a big step toward driving app adoption.
The team previously suggested goals that they wished to pass before launching Open mainnet, including:
- 15 million Pioneers passing Know Your Customer checks
- 10 million Pioneers migrating to beta mainnet.
- 100 mainnet-ready apps.
Progress has gone well so far, although we note that we rely on the team’s claims rather than being able to verify these numbers independently:
Pioneers, we’ve reached over 18 million KYC’d and over 8 million Mainnet migrated Pioneers! Thanks to recent major speed upgrades, KYC applications and Mainnet migrations are processed faster than ever, i.e. nearly 200,000 Pioneers migrated in the last day. This means Open… pic.twitter.com/tHKdZPTcmv
— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) December 20, 2024
The Requirements of Pi’s Open Mainnet
The Open Mainnet stage allows Pi users to exchange their Pi Coins with other cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies. Furthermore, it allows developers to innovate, creating utilities and applications atop the network’s robust framework.
Despite the excitement surrounding this announcement, the Pi Network team is proceeding with caution. They claimed that a hasty transition could undermine the community’s achievements to date.
In light of this, they determined three conditions that must be met to ensure the Pi Network mainnet launch.
When Pioneers hold Pi Coin now, they are effectively holding an IOU token. Users transitioning to mainnet see these IOUs swapped for a crypto exchange-friendly token — perhaps we will soon start to see a Pi coin listing date on popular exchanges like Binance and Coinbase.
Here are the three prerequisites the team set for full launch:
- Comprehensive Preparations: The team underscored the need to complete all crucial technological, product, business, and legal preparations. While the technical roadmap is largely in place, efforts are ongoing to enhance network security, stability, and scalability.
- Decentralization Milestones: A central goal is to acquire 15 million KYC-verified users and migrate over 10 million Pioneers to the mainnet blockchain. Additionally, the development of at least 100 high-quality, diverse utilities and applications is critical for establishing Pi’s viability as a currency.
- Optimal External Conditions: As a global cryptocurrency initiative, Pi’s success is intertwined with the broader world context. Therefore, the team said factors such as geopolitical stability, regulatory developments, industry trends, and the absence of global crises are pivotal in determining the timing of the Pi mainnet launch date.
The Bottom Line
This is either a make-or-break moment for Pi Network, with the official Open Network launch now confirmed for Q1 2025.
While delays beyond this timeline could test the patience of Pioneers who have been part of the journey since its inception in 2019, the recent progress signals that the long wait may finally be nearing its end.
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References
- Open Network Update | Pi Network (MinePi)
- ExplorePi (Explorepi8437.pinet)
- About Pi Network (MinePi)
- Pi Team announcement (Twitter)
- Ethereum Foundation (Twitter)
- 2024 Update | Pi Network (MinePi)
- Pi price today, PI to USD live price, marketcap and chart | CoinMarketCap (CoinMarketCap)