Why did the price of PI go up?

Pi (PI) increased by 0.75% in the last 24 hours, slightly beating the overall crypto market, which dropped by 1.2%. Here’s why:

1. Testnet DEX Upgrade (Positive) – Changing to PI-based trading pairs aims to make trading smoother and more stable.
2. Technical Indicators Show Mixed Signals – Some signs suggest PI might bounce back soon, but others remain weak.
3. Holiday Shopping Incentives (Neutral) – New promotions could increase PI’s use, but the short-term effect is uncertain.

In-Depth Look

1. Testnet DEX Changes (Positive)

On December 23, Pi Network updated its testnet decentralized exchange (DEX) by making PI the main asset for trading pairs. This change helps bring together scattered trading pairs and adds a system to verify token authenticity.

Why this matters:

• Trading costs due to price swings (called slippage) may drop by about 30%, according to the team.
• Concentrating liquidity reduces chances of price manipulation.
• Better price accuracy as trading volume increases.

What to watch: The full launch of the mainnet DEX is planned for 2026.

2. Technical Signals Show Mixed Outlook

PI is currently trading around $0.204, close to a key price level at $0.20287. The Relative Strength Index (RSI), a tool that measures if an asset is overbought or oversold, is near 38.67, suggesting PI might be oversold and could rebound.

Important points:

• Immediate resistance (a price level that may be hard to pass) is at $0.211, based on the 7-day moving average.
• The MACD indicator, which shows momentum, has just turned positive for the first time in two weeks.
• A Fibonacci retracement level at $0.2116 might limit how high PI can go in the short term.

However, trading volume is still very low—92% below its peak in February 2025—so confidence in a strong rebound is limited.

Summary

PI’s small price increase reflects cautious optimism about the recent testnet improvements and signs of being oversold. However, concerns remain about a large token release scheduled for December 25 (9 million tokens) and overall market uncertainty.

What to watch: Will PI stay above the $0.20 support level during the holiday season, or will selling pressure from the token unlock push prices down? Keep an eye on DEX liquidity and whether the RSI climbs back above 40.

What could affect the price of PI?

Pi’s price is balancing between growing real-world use and risks from more tokens entering the market.

1. Open Network Launch (Q1 2025) – A critical moment that could unlock new uses and allow trading on exchanges.
2. Token Unlocks – Over 182 million PI tokens will become available by January, which could lower the price.
3. Regulatory Issues – Compliance with EU rules might help liquidity, but a U.S. lawsuit creates uncertainty.

In-Depth Look

1. Open Network & Ecosystem Growth (Mixed Impact)

What’s happening:
Pi’s Open Network is set to launch in early 2025, removing current restrictions and allowing full blockchain use and integration with outside apps. Recent test updates, like enabling trading with PI tokens on decentralized exchanges (source), aim to reduce price swings. However, 5.2 billion PI tokens are still locked until certain milestones are reached.

Why it matters:
If the launch goes well, it could justify Pi’s $1.7 billion market value by connecting the price to real-world uses like shopping apps and staking rewards. But delays or problems could cause investors to sell, especially since PI’s price has already dropped 93% from its peak in 2025.

2. Token Supply Dynamics (Potential Downside)

What’s happening:
More than 182 million PI tokens will be unlocked and released into the market by January 2026, with about 6 million PI tokens becoming available daily. Recent blockchain data shows large holders moving 2.5 million PI tokens to exchanges ahead of these unlocks, which could signal selling pressure.

Why it matters:
Even small amounts of selling could push prices down because daily trading volume ($12.4 million) is very low compared to the total market value. Past unlock events, like the 9 million PI tokens released on December 25, 2025, have led to price drops between 5% and 10%.

3. Regulatory & Legal Challenges (Short-Term Risks)

What’s happening:
Pi claims to comply with the EU’s MiCA regulations, which could help it get listed on European exchanges. However, a U.S. class-action lawsuit accusing Pi of $10 million in fraud (source) may scare off institutional investors.

Why it matters:
Clearer rules in Europe might bring more trading activity, but ongoing legal issues in the U.S. could slow down progress. The 30-day price volatility of -15.4% shows how uncertain the situation is.

Conclusion

Pi’s price depends heavily on whether the Open Network launch can create real value to balance out the risks from token unlocks and legal troubles. Keep an eye on the February 28 KYC deadline and the Q1 2025 launch—if these go smoothly, Pi could see renewed buying interest. Will Pi’s community-driven commerce projects finally help its price move beyond just speculation?

What are people saying about PI?

The Pi community is divided between optimistic holders looking for price rebounds and cautious voices worried about a large number of tokens being released soon. Here’s what’s trending:

1. Bullish signs – Technical patterns suggest a possible price increase, and big investors are accumulating Pi.
2. Unlock concerns – 630 million Pi tokens are scheduled to enter the market by August, which could cause selling pressure.
3. Bitcoin comparisons – Some early adopters see Pi’s current price of $0.33 as a rare chance to get in early, similar to Bitcoin’s early days.

Deep Dive

1. @johnmorganFL: Falling Wedge Pattern Points to $0.64

"PI broke key trendline resistance – Open Interest hit $25M signals momentum shift"
– John Morgan (35K followers · 9.3M impressions · 2025-07-18 16:24 UTC)
View original post
What this means: Traders who use charts see the falling wedge pattern as a sign that Pi’s price could rise. Also, more traders are betting on price increases through derivatives.

2. Community Post: 630M Tokens Unlock Could Pressure Price

"June-August unlocks = 630M PI ($128M sell pressure) – MACD negative, RSI neutral at 43.6"
– 5.4M impressions · 2025-05-30 06:47 UTC
What this means: A large number of Pi tokens will become available soon, which might lead to more selling than buying. This is especially concerning since Pi’s price has already dropped 75% from its $3 high in February.

3. @Bitget: Early Bitcoin Comparisons at $0.33

"Some compare current PI prices to BTC’s 2012 levels – Bitget offers 150 PI rewards to new users"
– 6M impressions · 2025-08-11 23:33 UTC
What this means: Some long-term Pi supporters believe the project’s mobile mining community is similar to Bitcoin’s early grassroots growth. However, Pi’s practical uses are still uncertain.

Conclusion

Opinions on Pi are mixed. Technical traders see signs of a possible price rebound, while others warn that upcoming token releases could dilute value and cause selling pressure. Keep an eye on the $0.40 price level—if it falls below this, panic selling might occur. If it holds, Pi could experience volatility similar to Bitcoin’s early years. Also, watch for large amounts of Pi moving onto exchanges after token unlocks, which could signal increased supply and price pressure.

What is the latest news about PI?

Pi Network is focusing on increasing its usefulness despite recent price challenges. Key updates include improvements to its testnet trading platform and holiday shopping promotions.

1. Testnet DEX Upgrade (December 23, 2025) – PI is now the main currency to help stabilize trading.
2. Holiday Shopping Campaign (December 23, 2025) – Incentives for spending PI and partnerships with merchants.
3. Price Nears $0.20 Support Level (December 23, 2025) – Price remains weak despite efforts to boost the ecosystem.

In-Depth Look

1. Testnet DEX Upgrade (December 23, 2025)

What happened:
Pi Network improved its testnet decentralized exchange (DEX) and automated market maker (AMM) pools by making PI the base currency for all trading pairs. This change is designed to reduce price swings, make prices more accurate, and lower the chance of market manipulation. The user interface was also made simpler for new users.

Why it matters:
This update is somewhat positive for PI because using PI as the main trading currency could increase its usefulness and influence within the network. However, these benefits depend on whether the main network (Mainnet) adopts these changes since success on the testnet doesn’t always translate to real-world use. (CoinMarketCap)

2. Holiday Shopping Campaign (December 23, 2025)

What happened:
The Pi Network team launched a Community Commerce Initiative to encourage holiday shopping using PI. Through the PiFest Fireside Forum, developers can promote apps offering discounts paid in PI, and users can take advantage of seasonal deals and enter raffles for branded items.

Why it matters:
This is a positive step toward making PI a practical currency for everyday transactions, supporting Pi’s long-term goal of moving from just a mined token to a currency people use regularly. However, adoption by merchants outside specific regions like Southeast Asia remains limited, which could slow growth. (Cryptopotato)

3. Price Nears $0.20 Support Level (December 23, 2025)

What happened:
The price of PI dropped to about $0.204, down 93% from its peak of $3 in February. It’s struggling to stay above $0.21 even as the broader market recovers. Additionally, nearly 9 million tokens will become available on December 25, which could increase selling pressure.

Why it matters:
This price action shows a bearish mood, influenced by more tokens entering the market and traders losing interest. The $0.20 price point is crucial—if PI falls below this, it might test its July low of $0.17. Holding above $0.20 could allow for a price rebound in early 2026 if the holiday commerce efforts succeed.

Conclusion

Pi Network is working hard to strengthen its ecosystem with technical upgrades and real-world use cases to combat price declines. The token unlock on December 25 will be a key test of market strength. The big question is whether growing utility can balance out increased token supply or if selling pressure will continue. Keep an eye on PI’s ability to hold $0.20 and how the Mainnet DEX adoption progresses.

What is expected in the development of PI?

Pi Network is focusing on building practical uses, following regulations, and growing its community and tools.

1. Testnet DEX/AMM Upgrades (December 2025) – Improved liquidity and a simpler interface for testing decentralized trading.
2. Protocol v23 Mainnet Upgrade (Q1 2026) – Better scalability and smart contract features using Stellar Core technology.
3. Community Commerce Initiative (Ongoing) – Encouraging real-world Pi spending through partnerships with merchants worldwide.
4. Ecosystem Fund Deployment (2025–2026) – $100 million set aside to support gaming, AI projects, and developer tools.

Deep Dive

1. Testnet DEX/AMM Upgrades (December 2025)

Overview: Pi Network recently improved its test version of a decentralized exchange (DEX) and automated market maker (AMM). They switched liquidity pairs to use Pi-denominated assets, which helps reduce price swings and manipulation. The user interface was also simplified, and token rankings now focus more on liquidity rather than market value (MEXC).
What this means: This is a technical step forward but doesn’t directly impact Pi’s value yet. Better liquidity could help stabilize prices in the future, but progress on the test network doesn’t guarantee success when the full version launches.

2. Protocol v23 Mainnet Upgrade (Q1 2026)

Overview: The upcoming Protocol v23 upgrade will use Stellar Core v23.0.1 to make transactions faster and improve smart contract capabilities. Testing is in progress, with a full launch expected by early 2026 (Coinspeaker).
What this means: If delivered on time, this upgrade could attract developers and enable more complex applications on Pi. However, delays or technical issues could slow progress.

3. Community Commerce Initiative (Ongoing)

Overview: The Pi Core Team is running holiday promotions like discounts and raffles to encourage people to spend Pi with merchants worldwide. They are targeting over 220 regions to increase real-world use of Pi (CoinMarketCap).
What this means: This effort could boost Pi’s usefulness and reduce selling pressure if merchants and users stay engaged. Success depends on how many merchants adopt Pi for payments.

4. Ecosystem Fund Deployment (2025–2026)

Overview: Pi Network Ventures is investing $100 million to support projects such as CiDi Games (gaming with Pi integration) and OpenMind (AI tools). They are also developing a Rust software development kit (SDK) to make creating smart contracts easier (CoinMarketCap).
What this means: This is positive for Pi’s long-term growth, but success depends on attracting quality partners and developers.

Conclusion

Pi Network is working hard to improve its technology, expand its ecosystem, and increase real-world use. The Protocol v23 upgrade and DEX launch could encourage more developers to build on Pi. However, the project still faces challenges like low liquidity and the need to grow adoption. The big question remains: will Pi’s focus on commerce and compliance lead to steady demand, or will token unlocks and market doubts hold it back?

What updates are there in the PI code base?

Pi Network has rolled out important updates to its Node software, identity verification system (KYC), and developer tools to improve the overall ecosystem.

1. Better Decentralized Exchange (DEX) Features (Dec 18, 2025) – Improved trading tools for smoother token swaps.
2. AI-Enhanced KYC Process (Dec 5, 2025) – Faster and smarter identity checks using artificial intelligence.
3. App Studio Code Export (Nov 14, 2025) – Developers can now download and edit app code outside the Pi platform.

In-Depth Look

1. Better Decentralized Exchange (DEX) Features (Dec 18, 2025)

What happened: Pi Network upgraded its decentralized exchange and automated market maker (AMM) systems to make trading tokens easier and more reliable. The update improved the way trades are matched and added flexible fees based on how busy the system is. This helps reduce failed trades, especially when the market is volatile.
Why it matters: This is good news for PI users because it makes trading within the Pi ecosystem smoother and more accessible, which could lead to more activity on the network. (Source)

2. AI-Enhanced KYC Process (Dec 5, 2025)

What happened: Pi Network introduced artificial intelligence to speed up the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. The AI handles straightforward cases automatically and flags only the tricky ones for human review. This cuts the average verification time from several days to just a few hours.
Why it matters: This update doesn’t directly increase PI’s value but helps remove delays for users trying to verify their identity. Faster KYC could support more users joining the Mainnet if the ecosystem continues to grow. (Source)

3. App Studio Code Export (Nov 14, 2025)

What happened: Pi App Studio now lets developers download their app code so they can edit it using other software tools outside the Pi platform. This means creators can start building apps with Pi’s easy-to-use tools and then customize them further with professional development environments.
Why it matters: This encourages better and more complex app development on Pi, which could attract more users and expand the network’s use cases. (Source)

Summary

Pi Network’s recent updates focus on improving the technical foundation (Node 0.5.4), making trading easier (DEX/AMM upgrades), and empowering developers (App Studio enhancements). While these improvements strengthen the platform, PI’s market price hasn’t yet reflected this progress due to limited liquidity and the upcoming Open Mainnet launch. The big question for 2026 is whether these developer tools and system upgrades will lead to real user growth and increased adoption.