Pi Network - How a Stanford-founded project democratizes cryptocurrency for billions

Pi Network has emerged as a groundbreaking attempt to make blockchain technology accessible to everyday people through a mobile-first strategy. With hundreds of millions of global users and a transition to an open mainnet, the project marks a significant shift in how we think about cryptocurrency adoption.

Origin: Vision of Inclusion

Two Stanford doctors, Nicolas Kokkalis and Chengdiao Fan, founded Pi Network in 2019 with a radical vision – to break down the technical and economic barriers that have traditionally excluded billions from the cryptocurrency sector.

Dr. Kokkalis, a specialist in distributed systems and human-computer interaction, focuses on technical accessibility. Dr. Fan, with a PhD in anthropological sciences, contributes an understanding of how people adopt and use new technology. Together, they created a platform that requires no special equipment, no financial investment at launch, and minimal technical knowledge.

From Smartphone to Blockchain

The revolutionary concept

Unlike Bitcoin – which requires energy-intensive ASIC mining equipment costing thousands of dollars – Pi enables mining through a simple mobile app. A daily verification, a short session opening, and the user earns Pi coins without significantly draining battery life or data usage.

Security circles instead of hash power

Pi uses Stellar Consensus Protocol rather than traditional Proof-of-Work. The network’s security is built on a social trust layer where users – called Pioneers – build “security circles” by nominating 3-5 trusted contacts. This federated model eliminates the environmental costs associated with proof-of-work while maintaining decentralized verification.

User roles driving the ecosystem

Four distinct roles keep the Pi network running:

• Pioneers: Daily miners verifying presence
• Contributors: Creating security circles for network validation
• Ambassadors: Expanding the user base through invitations
• Node operators: Running validation software for network infrastructure

Tokenomics designed for community

Pi Network’s token distribution reflects a rare focus on community power over developer wealth.

Total supply: 100 billion Pi coins

The 80/20 model allocates 80 billion tokens to the community:

• 65 billion Pi for mining rewards (both before and after mainnet)
• 10 billion Pi for community development, hackathons, and ecosystem initiatives
• 5 billion Pi reserved for liquidity pools

The core team receives 20 billion Pi as compensation, gradually released in line with network development.

From testnet to real economy

Mainnet transition: December 2021

After two years on the testnet, Pi transitioned to its closed mainnet, requiring Know-Your-Customer (KYC) verification. This shift marked the beginning of moving from theory to practice.

Open mainnet and exchange listing

The project has now progressively opened its network, enabling listings on major cryptocurrency exchanges. As of January 9, 2026, Pi is traded at around $0.21 on major exchanges, representing the market’s first real value transfer from speculative demand to actual user adoption.

How to sell Pi – A five-step guide

Step 1: Complete KYC verification

Before any transfer is possible, users must complete the Know-Your-Customer verification through the Pi app. This step ensures compliance and prevents fake accounts.

Step 2: Migrate to open mainnet

Within the Pi app, users must officially migrate their coins from the enclosed period to the open mainnet. This is a one-time process that prepares your coins for external transfer.

Step 3: Choose a trading platform

Several major cryptocurrency exchanges now support Pi trading. When selecting a platform, prioritize security, transparent fees, and liquidity for Pi trading pairs.

Step 4: Transfer Pi to the exchange wallet

From the Pi app, you can send coins to a wallet address on the exchange. The user copies their deposit address, enters the amount, and confirms the transaction via two-factor authentication.

Step 5: Place a sell order and withdraw funds

Once Pi coins arrive at the exchange, users can choose between a market order (immediate sale at market price) or a limit order (wait for a specific price). The proceeds can be kept on the exchange, converted into other assets, or withdrawn to a bank account via the exchange’s fiat withdrawal process.

Is Pi Network legitimate or a scam?

Legitimacy markers

Pi Network’s credibility is based on several objectively verifiable facts:

The founders’ academic backgrounds are public and independently verifiable. Both are Stanford PhDs with published research in relevant fields.

The development roadmap has been followed consistently over six years – something fraudulent projects rarely achieve due to lack of real technical work.

No initial investment is required from users, which rules out Ponzi scheme characteristics.

The transition to mainnet is a real technical achievement verified by notable exchanges before listing.

Addressing common objections

Some criticize Pi’s long development timeline. But complex blockchain projects often require several years to build secure infrastructure, audited smart contracts, and regulatory compliance.

Others point to valuation uncertainty before listing. But this is normal for all new assets – value is established through market mechanisms once trading is enabled.

The ecosystem’s future path

Pi Network is preparing to evolve from solely mining to a functional ecosystem of decentralized applications. Ongoing hackathons fund developers to build e-commerce marketplaces, games, financial services, and other tools accepting Pi as payment.

The long-term vision includes positioning as a global payment system integrated into everyday transactions – from retail to cross-border remittances – supported by traditional companies.

With tens of millions of users already participating and a focus on real utility rather than speculative trading, Pi is positioning itself to potentially become a significant player in blockchain’s path toward mainstream adoption.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Pi launched?
Pi Network launched its mobile app in 2019, with the mainnet coming in December 2021. The transition to open mainnet has accelerated since then.

What is the current price of Pi?
As of January 2026, Pi is traded at around $0.21 on major exchanges, with prices fluctuating according to market conditions.

Can Pi coins be sold?
Yes, after KYC verification and migration to the open mainnet, Pi can be freely transferred to exchanges and sold for other assets or fiat currency.

How does Pi differ from traditional mining?
Pi uses Stellar Consensus Protocol based on social trust rather than computationally intensive calculations, enabling mining on smartphones without significant energy or data consumption.

What are Pi Network’s goals for 2030?
The project aims for broad adoption as an accepted payment method integrated into daily economic transactions worldwide, with an expanded ecosystem of dApps and partnerships with established companies.

Final thoughts

Pi Network represents a distinct effort to solve adoption issues that blockchain technology has faced. By removing technical complexity, hardware investment requirements, and economic barriers, the project has created a pathway for people around the world to participate in this transformative technology.

Whether you see yourself as a miner, trader, or curious explorer of blockchain innovation, Pi offers a comprehensive case study of how decentralized technology can be reconfigured to serve billions rather than millions.