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On February 20, 2025, Pi Network will officially launch its Open Mainnet, marking a historic milestone in the evolution of this ambitious cryptocurrency project. From its inception to this momentous day, Pi Network has undergone a transformative journey, driven by its community of users (Pioneers) and developers. This article explores the story of Pi Network, its achievements, and what the Mainnet launch means for both users and developers.
The Origin of Pi Network
Pi Network came into existence in late 2018 when a team of Stanford graduates, Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis and Dr. Chengdiao Fan, joined hands to create a solution to the high barriers to entry for cryptocurrency mining. While Bitcoin is mined through expensive hardware and consumes huge amounts of electricity, Pi Network introduced the idea of mobile-friendly mining that allows users to mine Pi coins using smartphones. The project was launched on Pi Day (March 14, 2019), marking its alignment with the mathematical constant π (3.14).
Pi Network placed a strong emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility from the start. Its referral system incentivized users for inviting others, encouraging exponential growth. Pi Network boasts over 70 million users worldwide as of 2025, with 19 million having completed Know Your Customer (KYC) verification and 10.14 million having migrated to the Mainnet successfully.
The Vision and Journey
When Pi Network launched in 2019, cryptocurrency was controlled by mining farms and custom hardware, making it incredibly difficult for the average person to participate. The founders of Pi Network had a different vision: a mobile-first cryptocurrency that anyone could mine using their phone. Their mantra to “Build a cryptocurrency and smart contracts platform secured and operated by everyday people” has driven their efforts over the last six years.
The network’s dedication to usability has never faltered since going live. Instead of rushing to market, Pi Network took a gradual, phase-by-phase strategy emphasizing community and technical building. That approach has yielded a first in cryptocurrency history: a network with millions of active users prior to mainnet launch on 20th February, 2025.
The Road to Mainnet: Key Milestones
Pi Network’s journey to the Mainnet launch has been marked by deliberate phases and significant achievements:
- Beta Phase (2019-2020): Pi Network started with the launch of the mobile app in December 2018 and then officially launched the network on Pi Day (March 14, 2019). In this phase, Pi Network concentrated on developing the core infrastructure and network community. The mobile app was used as a proof-of-concept and also as a way to distribute Pi tokens while constructing the social trust graph that is at the core of the network’s security model. The main accomplishments in the Beta phase include:
- Mobile mining infrastructure development
- Growth to over 3.5 million engaged users
- Establishment of presence in 233 countries
- Development of core security mechanisms
- Testnet Phase (2020-2021): March 2020 marked a key technical milestone with the release of Pi’s Testnet. In this phase, the real blockchain infrastructure that would come to support the mainnet was rolled out. The testnet phase was important to test and iterate on the core elements of the network, such as the consensus protocol, node operations, and developer tools. Some of the highlights were:
- Release of distributed node infrastructure
- Deployment of Pi Browser and SDK
- Implementation of smart contract capabilities
- First Pioneer hackathon
- Growth to over 10,000 functional community nodes
- Mainnet Phase (2021-2025): The mainnet phase represents Pi Network’s most sophisticated implementation, divided into two strategic periods:
- Enclosed Network Period (2021-2025): This controlled environment allowed for:
- Systematic KYC verification implementation
- Gradual balance migration
- Development of initial ecosystem applications
- Testing of economic models
- Refinement of security systems
- Open Network Period (2025-): The final stage brings:
- Full external connectivity
- Community node participation
- Cross-chain integration
- Expanded ecosystem development
- Enclosed Network Period (2021-2025): This controlled environment allowed for:
What the Mainnet Launch Means for Users
For Pioneers, the Open Mainnet launch is a moment of empowerment. Here’s what users can expect:
- Global Connectivity:
Now that the firewall is dropped, Pi coins can be used outside of the Pi ecosystem. This paves the way for global transactions, interoperability with other blockchains, and listings on cryptocurrency exchanges such as OKX, which has already announced PI trading pairs. - Real-World Utility:
More than 100 Mainnet-ready applications will allow Pioneers to utilize Pi coins for online transactions, goods, and services. Activities such as Pi Fest, in which 27,000 merchants and 950,000 buyers utilized Pi to conduct transactions, demonstrate the increasing real-world use cases. - Increased Value Potential:
The launch can unlock the market value of Pi, hitherto theoretical. Though there are some users speculating that prices can be as much as $314,159 for each Pi, others expect less ambitious valuations. Its actual value will be determined by adoption levels and market demand.
What the Mainnet Launch Means for Developers
For developers, Open Mainnet is a whole new dawn of innovation and possibility. You can give back to the community in several ways such as developing applications, integrating pi SDK into other dApps, bringing more individuals into the community, etc. Go to the Developer Section here.
- Expanded Ecosystem:
Developers are now able to integrate their dApps with outside systems for seamless transactions and interactions. This increases the user base and usefulness of Pi-based applications. - Decentralized Participation:
By disabling the firewall, developers are now able to operate nodes on the Pi Network Mainnet, helping to decentralize and secure it. The Pi Core Team will give priority to quality contributors for node migration. - Business Integration:
Businesses can now become part of the Pi ecosystem via Know Your Business (KYB) verification. This allows them to receive Pi payments, further fueling adoption and utility.
Challenges and Criticisms
In spite of the success, Pi Network has also faced criticism. Questions regarding the delay in Mainnet release, delays in KYC verification, and pyramid scheme-like allegations have raised doubts over its legitimacy. Yet, transparency and community-driven development have enabled the project thus far to overcome such challenges.
Conclusion: A New Chapter for Pi Network
The launch of the Pi Network Mainnet on February 20, 2025, is a testament to innovation and community resilience. For users, it opens up the potential for Pi coins to be a working cryptocurrency. For developers, it opens the gates to a rich app ecosystem and integrations. As Pi Network moves into the phase of the Open Network, it is set to revolutionize cryptocurrency adoption and accessibility for millions of people across the globe.
The path from vision to complete Mainnet has been lengthy, but the future is more promising than ever for Pi Network and humanity.