A little over three months since Pi Network opened up its blockchain, the project is finally starting to show signs of real-world activity and growth.
The launch of the Open Network back in February was a major shift for Pi Network, which had spent years operating in a closed setup. Now, with external access switched on, developers, users, and verified businesses can connect to the Pi blockchain more freely, allowing for new kinds of apps and use cases to take shape.
Since that launch, more than 3 million people have joined Pi’s Mainnet, pushing the total number of Mainnet users past 13 million. The network has also seen over 7.4 billion Pi migrated, including 5.2 billion Pi locked and 2.2 billion unlocked for use.
Startup Fund, Gaming Entry
To build out its ecosystem, the Pi Foundation announced a $100 million initiative known as Pi Network Ventures. The fund, held in a mix of Pi and US dollars, is meant to support startups that use the Pi blockchain in practical ways.
The foundation has placed an early focus on gaming, citing it as a natural fit for social engagement and digital payments. A sample project, FruityPi, was launched to test in-game payments, ad revenue, and wallet usage. The game ties into other Pi tools like the Pi Wallet and Pi Ad Network.
A Push into Peer-to-Peer Commerce
In mid-March, Pi held its first major commerce event since opening the network. Called PiFest, the campaign ran for a week and encouraged users to buy and sell using Pi across local marketplaces.
According to Pi’s internal data, more than 125,000 sellers registered, with around 58,000 actively taking part. A community-built app, Map of Pi, saw over 1.8 million users during the event, and more than 45,000 reviews were submitted.
The effort was seen as a test case for how the cryptocurrency could function in informal commerce or in areas underserved by traditional payment systems.
Digital Identity: .pi Domains
Another area of early traction has come from Pi’s own domain name system. Launched alongside PiFest, the .pi domains auction allowed users to bid on personalized domain names within the Pi ecosystem.
By the end of the 100-day period, the auction had drawn over 123,000 bids from more than 57,000 unique users. In total, over 3 million Pi was used in domain bids. These .pi domains are intended to be used for identity across apps and services within the Pi network.
Developer Access and App Discovery
On the technical side, Pi Network made several updates to its Mainnet app interface. Developers meeting deployment criteria can now list apps directly through the developer portal, without waiting to be approved manually.
Pi has made its ad network available to more developers, allowing them to earn money from the apps they create on the Pi platform. Alongside this, the app interface was improved to make it simpler for users to explore and find apps. Several new apps were also added during this time.
Security and Account Access
To help users manage their accounts more easily, Pi Network introduced new recovery options and improved parts of its KYC process. Verified users can now update their phone number by completing a liveness check.
Wallet migrations are now protected by two-factor authentication, which has moved from SMS to email for better reliability and fewer regional restrictions.
The network also fixed several bugs that were causing issues in the KYC process and added support for users verifying through Yoti, making it easier for more people to complete verification.
Pi Network’s Open Network phase is still in early stages, but the last 100 days suggest a steady shift toward wider access and usability. With its startup fund now active and app tools in place, Pi will likely be judged next on how much real usage its ecosystem can attract and sustain.
Also Read: Pi Network Users Struggle With KYC and 2FA Ahead of Launch
