Why did the price of PI fall?
Pi Network’s price dropped 2.84% to $0.20 in the last 24 hours, continuing a 43% decline over the past month. Here’s why:
- Token Unlock Pressure – About 120 million PI tokens will become available soon, which could lead to more selling.
- Technical Weakness – Price charts show bearish patterns and an oversold indicator, suggesting weak buying momentum.
- Market Fear – The overall crypto market is cautious, with the Fear & Greed Index at 25 (“Fear”), which tends to hurt smaller coins like PI.
Deep Dive
1. Token Unlocks Increase Selling Risk (Bearish Impact)
Overview:
Around 120 million PI tokens are scheduled to unlock over the next month, according to Cryptopotato. Although this is less than previous months, it still adds selling pressure as early miners might sell their tokens.
What this means:
- Past unlock events have led to price drops for PI—for example, a 53% fall in May 2025 after 72 million tokens unlocked.
- Recently, the amount of PI held on exchanges dropped to 411 million PI because users moved tokens to their own wallets, which temporarily reduces immediate selling pressure.
What to watch:
- Whether these unlocked tokens end up on exchanges (which could increase selling) or are held long-term by investors.
2. Bearish Technical Signals Continue (Mixed Impact)
Overview:
- The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 26.75, indicating the coin is oversold but hasn’t shown signs of a price rebound yet.
- A “head-and-shoulders” pattern on the 4-hour price chart suggests that if PI falls below $0.199, it could drop another 9% to $0.18 (Yahoo Finance).
What this means:
- The oversold RSI suggests some buyers might step in, but there’s no strong confirmation of a trend reversal yet.
- Some retail buying is happening, but overall momentum is weakening.
What to watch:
- If the price closes above $0.210 on the 4-hour chart, it could invalidate the bearish pattern and signal strength.
3. Altcoin Weakness Amid Market Fear (Bearish Impact)
Overview:
- The total crypto market value fell 2.05% in 24 hours, while Bitcoin’s share of the market rose to 58.88%.
- The Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at 25, indicating “Fear,” which usually leads investors to avoid riskier assets like PI.
What this means:
- PI’s low trading volume compared to its market size (turnover ratio of 0.019) means it can be more volatile on the downside.
- The Valor Pi ETP, an investment product tied to PI, holds only about $3,000 in assets, showing weak institutional interest.
Conclusion
PI’s recent price drop is driven by a combination of upcoming token unlocks, negative technical signals, and a cautious crypto market. While oversold conditions and fewer tokens on exchanges offer some hope, overall market risks and increased supply are weighing heavily.
Key point to watch: Can PI maintain support at $0.20, or will token unlocks and Bitcoin’s rising dominance push it down toward $0.18?
What could affect the price of PI?
Pi’s price is balancing between its potential as a growing ecosystem and some key risks in its structure.
- Mainnet Launch (Q1 2025) – The activation of Pi’s Open Network could increase its usefulness or cause selling pressure.
- Token Unlocks – More than 340 million PI tokens will become available by October 2025, which might flood the market.
- Exchange Listings – Without listings on major platforms like Binance or Coinbase, liquidity is limited; new listings could cause price swings.
Deep Dive
1. Open Network Launch & Migration Risks (Mixed Impact)
Overview:
Pi plans to launch its Open Mainnet in the first quarter of 2025. This will allow users to make transactions outside the Pi app and use smart contracts, which are programs that run on the blockchain. However, the deadline for users to verify their identity (KYC) and migrate their accounts was extended to February 28, 2025, because about 14.8 million users still haven’t completed verification. If users don’t migrate, their PI tokens could be lost, which might reduce selling pressure but also raises questions about how ready the network is.
What this means:
If the launch goes well, it could prove that PI has real value and attract more developers and users. But if there are delays or problems with migration, confidence in Pi could drop. In the past, PI’s price fell 44% in 30 days during times of uncertainty, showing how sensitive it is to execution risks (Pi Core Team).
2. Liquidity & Exchange Listings (Bearish Short-Term)
Overview:
PI is currently traded on mid-level exchanges like Gate.io and Bitget, but it’s not listed on major exchanges such as Binance or Coinbase. The CEO of Bybit called Pi a “scam,” and Valor’s Pi Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) holds only about $3,000 in assets. PI’s daily trading volume is $33.4 million, which is just 2% of its total market value, indicating low liquidity.
What this means:
Low liquidity means the price can change a lot with relatively small trades. Getting listed on top exchanges could help stabilize the price by improving how easily PI can be bought and sold, but this depends on Pi addressing transparency issues, like making its code open-source. Until then, PI’s price remains vulnerable to large investors and shifts in market sentiment (Crypto.News).
3. Tokenomics & Unlock Schedule (Bearish Pressure)
Overview:
Pi has a maximum supply of 100 billion tokens, with about 8.28 billion currently in circulation. Over 340 million tokens will become available by late October 2025, increasing the supply by roughly 4.1%. Past token unlocks have been linked to price drops—for example, the price fell 53% in the three months after the February 2025 unlock.
What this means:
Adding new tokens to a market that doesn’t have a lot of buyers can push prices down further. The Pi Core Team holds 20% of the tokens, which will unlock alongside community tokens. If confidence in Pi weakens, this could lead to more selling pressure (CCN).
Conclusion
Pi’s future depends on whether the Open Network can prove useful before the large token unlocks increase supply too much. Keep an eye on the Mainnet launch in Q1 2025 and any news about listings on major exchanges. The big question is whether Pi’s growing ecosystem can balance out the risks from its inflationary token design, or if doubts will hold back its progress.
What are people saying about PI?
The Pi Network community is experiencing mixed feelings, swinging between excitement and frustration. This is because the network is growing, but token unlocks and delays are causing some concerns. Here’s what’s currently happening:
- Mainnet progress brings cautious hope
- Token unlocks raise worries about increased selling pressure
- AI integration plans show promise but face challenges
Deep Dive
1. @pinetwork_world: Mainnet Migration Milestones – Positive
"Pi Network’s Mainnet Goes Live: No Action Required, Just Open Your App"
– @pinetwork_world (193K followers · 420K impressions · Sept 4, 2025)
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What this means: This is good news for Pi (PI) because easy access to the mainnet could encourage more users and developers to get involved. However, since users don’t have to do anything special, adoption might grow more slowly than some expect.
2. @johnmorganFL: Token Unlock Warnings – Negative
"263M PI tokens unlocking in June, 233M in July – potential flood of sell pressure!"
– @johnmorganFL (88K followers · 310K impressions · May 30, 2025)
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What this means: This is a concern for Pi (PI) because large amounts of tokens becoming available each month (about 5-7% of the circulating supply) could lead to more selling, which may push prices down. The number of tokens held on exchanges has already increased by 82% since May 2025 (CoinMarketCap).
3. @DrChengdiaoFan: AI Integration Efforts – Mixed
"Pi Ad Network pilot integrates AI – ads require PI tokens, SDK rewards developers"
– @DrChengdiaoFan (2.1M followers · 1.8M impressions · Sept 18, 2025)
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What this means: This is somewhat positive because adding AI to the Pi Ad Network could increase the usefulness of PI tokens. However, the success of this project depends on growing beyond the current 125,000 active sellers (PiFest 2025 data).
Conclusion
Overall, opinions on Pi (PI) are mixed. Optimism about mainnet adoption and AI projects is balanced by concerns over token unlocks and slow growth in real-world use. Keep an eye on the circulating supply ratio, which is currently 8.28% (8.28 billion out of 100 billion total tokens), as more tokens become available through the end of 2025. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 39.03 (CoinGecko), suggesting that the next month will be important to see if PI stabilizes or drops further.
What is the latest news about PI?
Pi Network is facing a tough market but is pushing forward with updates to improve its ecosystem. Here’s a quick summary of the latest news:
- App Studio AI Expansion (October 17, 2025) – New AI features are designed to help developers build more apps, even though PI’s price has dropped 93%.
- Retail vs. Technical Signals (October 17, 2025) – While everyday buyers are showing interest, technical charts suggest the price could still fall.
- Valor ETP Assets Crash (October 16, 2025) – The Pi-related exchange-traded product (ETP) in Sweden has dropped to just $3,000 in assets, showing low interest from big investors.
In-Depth Look
1. App Studio AI Expansion (October 17, 2025)
What happened: Pi Network improved its Pi App Studio by adding AI tools that create logos, manage chatbot workflows, and make it easier to find apps. Users can now stake PI tokens on apps made by the community, which is meant to increase the coin’s usefulness. Despite these upgrades, PI’s price is still low at $0.20, down 93% from its high earlier this year.
What it means: These updates could help Pi Network grow over time, but the low price shows many people are unsure if it will catch on soon. Without being listed on major exchanges or slowing down how many tokens are released daily (currently 4 million per day), demand might stay low. (Cryptopotato)
2. Retail vs. Technical Signals (October 17, 2025)
What happened: PI’s price is around $0.208. The Money Flow Index, which tracks buying and selling pressure, shows that regular buyers are accumulating PI. However, the price chart shows a “head-and-shoulders” pattern, which often signals a price drop. If the price falls below $0.199, it could drop another 9.5% to $0.18. To stop the downtrend, the price needs to rise above $0.228.
What it means: Everyday buyers are trying to support the price, but technical indicators suggest sellers still have the upper hand. There’s also a hidden weakness shown by the Relative Strength Index (RSI), so it’s important to watch the price closely between $0.20 and $0.21 to see which way it will go. (Yahoo Finance)
3. Valor ETP Assets Crash (October 16, 2025)
What happened: The Valor Pi ETP, an investment product in Sweden linked to Pi, now holds only $3,000 in assets, down from $3,400 last month. PI’s overall market value has dropped to $1.73 billion. Critics point to issues like central control of tokens, ongoing token releases, and accusations from the CEO of Bybit calling Pi a “scam” as reasons why big investors are staying away.
What it means: The sharp drop in the ETP’s assets highlights problems with Pi’s liquidity (how easily it can be bought or sold) and trust. To stop more selling, Pi Network may need to burn tokens (remove some from circulation) or get listed on a major exchange soon. (Crypto.News)
Conclusion
Pi Network is working hard to improve its platform with new AI tools and community features, but the coin’s price continues to struggle. Technical signs and lack of big investor interest are weighing on market confidence. The big question remains: will upcoming upgrades or new exchange listings help Pi’s value finally catch up with its potential?
What is expected in the development of PI?
Pi’s roadmap is centered on improving its technology and growing its community.
- Protocol v23 Mainnet Launch (Q4 2025–Q1 2026) – Final testing to boost transaction speed and network scalability.
- Rust SDK for Smart Contracts (Q1 2026) – New tools to make building decentralized apps (dApps) easier.
- Ecosystem Incentives Expansion (2026) – Better rewards for staking and more support for app developers.
- Global KYC Expansion (Ongoing) – Improving user verification to welcome more people worldwide.
Detailed Overview
1. Protocol v23 Mainnet Launch (Q4 2025–Q1 2026)
What’s happening: Pi is upgrading its core network software, based on Stellar Core v23.0.1. This upgrade is currently being tested and aims to handle more transactions faster and work smoothly with other compliant blockchains (Coinspeaker).
Why it matters: This upgrade could make Pi more useful and attract developers to build on the network. However, the team is taking a careful approach, so delays might happen.
2. Rust SDK for Smart Contracts (Q1 2026)
What’s happening: Pi will release a new software development kit (SDK) based on Rust programming language, inspired by Stellar’s Soroban SDK. This will help developers create smart contracts and dApps more easily.
Why it matters: This could encourage more developers to build on Pi, increasing the variety of apps available. Success depends on how user-friendly the SDK is and how well it’s supported. Competition from other blockchain platforms is a challenge.
3. Ecosystem Incentives Expansion (2026)
What’s happening: After the Pi2Day 2025 event, the team plans to improve staking options (like Directory Staking) and enhance Pi App Studio to motivate app creation (CCN).
Why it matters: More incentives could boost user participation and app development. However, increasing staking rewards might lead to token inflation, which could affect Pi’s price if demand doesn’t keep up.
4. Global KYC Expansion (Ongoing)
What’s happening: Over 13 million users have moved to Pi’s Mainnet, but identity verification (KYC) is still a challenge in some regions, especially Africa. The team is working on localized solutions to speed up this process.
Why it matters: Solving KYC issues will allow many more users to fully participate in the network. While this is positive long-term, short-term delays might frustrate users waiting to access their tokens.
Conclusion
Pi’s roadmap carefully balances technical improvements with incentives to grow its community. The main questions are whether developer interest will grow fast enough to support token demand and how smoothly the team can execute these plans as the Mainnet develops.
What updates are there in the PI code base?
Pi Network has made important updates to its technology and tools for developers, aiming to improve performance, expand support, and make building apps easier.
- Protocol v23 Testnet Upgrade (September 2025) – Improved blockchain speed and added features to prepare for smart contracts and regulatory compliance.
- Linux Node Integration (August 2025) – Added official support for Linux servers, helping more people run network nodes and boosting participation.
- Rust SDK for A2U Payments (October 2025) – Released a new software toolkit that makes it faster and simpler for developers to build payment features in Pi apps.
In-Depth Look
1. Protocol v23 Testnet Upgrade (September 2025)
What happened: The Pi Network upgraded its test environment from version 19 to 23. This upgrade aligns with technology used by Stellar, a well-known blockchain, to improve how network nodes sync and to prepare for future smart contract capabilities. It also introduced on-chain identity checks (KYC) and made block processing about 15% faster in tests.
Why it matters: While this upgrade is still being tested and doesn’t affect Pi’s price immediately, it’s a positive step toward making the network more scalable and compliant with regulations, which is good for Pi’s future. (Source)
2. Linux Node Integration (August 2025)
What happened: Pi Network officially added support for running nodes on Linux operating systems. This standardization allows easier deployment on cloud servers and virtual private servers (VPS), with automatic updates. It also fixed issues caused by different custom node versions, leading to a 22% increase in participation from developers and exchanges. Compatibility with Docker, a popular software container system, was also improved for business use.
Why it matters: This update supports decentralization by making it easier for more people to run nodes, which strengthens the network. Although node rewards haven’t changed, this is a positive development for growing the Pi community. (Source)
3. Rust SDK for A2U Payments (October 2025)
What happened: A new software development kit (SDK) written in Rust was released to simplify App-to-User (A2U) payment processes. It supports secure login (OAuth) and efficient transaction handling, reducing the time developers spend integrating payment features by about 40%. The SDK can handle up to 1,200 transactions per second in testing.
Why it matters: While this doesn’t directly impact Pi’s price, it’s a big plus for the ecosystem because it helps developers build useful apps faster, encouraging more real-world use of Pi. (Source)
Conclusion
Pi Network is making steady progress by upgrading its core technology for better scalability, increasing decentralization through Linux node support, and providing improved tools for developers. These updates strengthen Pi’s foundation for long-term growth. However, the price of PI tokens is still affected by token unlocks and delays in getting listed on major exchanges. The key question remains: how soon will these testnet improvements be adopted on the main Pi Network?