Pi Network has successfully upgraded its Testnet1 blockchain from protocol version 19 to version 23, marking the final technical step before the long-anticipated mainnet launch. The upgrade process began in mid-September with a phased approach, progressing through versions 20, 21, and 22 before reaching the current version 23. Testnet2 is expected to follow the same upgrade path shortly.
The upgrade to version 23 introduces significant improvements in transaction handling, scalability, and system stability, particularly under heavy network usage. These enhancements include better consensus handling, improved data communication between nodes, and more efficient processing of smart contracts and APIs. The development team has taken a cautious approach, warning users of potential short service interruptions during the upgrade process.
According to Pi Network advocate Dr. Altcoin and confirmed by multiple community observers, the initial upgrade to version 20 on September 12th caused an immediate 10% price surge for PI token, jumping from approximately $0.345 to a peak near $0.380. However, the bullish momentum proved short-lived as profit-taking drove the price back to the $0.347 support level, with technical indicators showing weakening momentum.
The version 23 upgrade aligns Pi Network with Stellar's protocol version 23, maintaining compatibility with its base codebase. Notably, the upgrade enables new functionality including decentralized KYC authority, allowing trusted entities beyond the native Pi KYC solution to verify users while maintaining Pi as a KYC-verified blockchain.
Pi Network continues to expand its ecosystem, recently announcing its gold sponsorship of TOKEN2049 in Singapore (October 1-2, 2025), where co-founder Dr. Chengdiao Fan will speak. The network has also launched PiOnline, a DeFi farming game on the Pi Browser, demonstrating its commitment to growing its application ecosystem.
The platform claims to have accumulated over 14.28 million migrated KYC-verified users, with user balances being mapped from testnet to mainnet in preparation for the full launch. With Testnet1 now on version 23 and Testnet2 preparing for the same upgrade, the network approaches full readiness for mainnet activation.