Fresh controversy has emerged around Pi Network after renewed claims suggested the project officially launched its mainnet on February 20, 2025. Community member WaeliaM strongly rejected these assertions, stating they misrepresent the project's actual development stage. According to the post, Pi Network remains in a testing-focused phase, and the official roadmap does not support the narrative of a fully launched mainnet.
Supporters pointing to the roadmap argue Pi Network has not yet entered its decisive mainnet stage. They emphasize the network still operates within controlled conditions, prioritizing internal testing, infrastructure stability, and gradual ecosystem readiness. The project is currently advancing through an early test phase while preparing for a more critical next stage often referred to as Test 2.
Much of the disagreement stems from differing interpretations of what constitutes a true mainnet launch. Pi Network initiated its Enclosed Mainnet in December 2021, which allowed internal wallet activity, KYC verification, and app testing without open external connectivity. Critics argue that labeling this phase as a full mainnet misleads users, as the network still restricts unrestricted transfers and broader integrations.
Despite technical distinctions, market activity has complicated the debate. Following developments in early 2025, Pi-related trading activity surged across informal markets, pushing prices sharply higher before a steep correction. These price movements fueled claims that the network had fully launched, even as developers maintained the ecosystem remained under controlled rollout conditions.
Responses reveal a sharply polarized community. Some users agree Pi Network continues in a preparatory phase and caution against spreading premature claims. Others counter that live trading, wallet functionality, and growing utility demonstrate sufficient maturity to consider the mainnet operational. This divide highlights ongoing trust issues that have followed Pi Network since its early mobile mining days.
Despite disagreements, development on Pi Network continues steadily into 2026. Recent updates emphasize improvements in wallet reliability, KYC throughput, and ecosystem tooling. The project rolled out its first major update of 2026, introducing a bundled developer toolkit aimed at reducing integration time to under ten minutes. This combined Software Development Kit with backend APIs is designed to simplify payment and application integration across JavaScript, React, Next.js, and Ruby on Rails.
At the protocol level, version 23 integrating Stellar Core v23.0.1 has been deployed to enhance transaction speed and security. The network now supports more than 15.8 million Mainnet Pioneers. The team has also confirmed plans to launch a decentralized exchange in early 2026, with Rust-based smart contracts already live.
However, price action has remained muted. Pi Network price trades near $0.2085, struggling beneath key resistance levels. A major overhang remains supply expansion, with nearly 95 million PI tokens (valued at roughly $20 million) scheduled to unlock in January. On-chain data shows more than 2.7 million PI tokens left exchanges during the first week of January, suggesting some holders are opting for self-custody. However, Pi Network's social dominance has fallen to 0.004 percent, reflecting weak media coverage and subdued retail interest.
Clear communication around mainnet status remains critical for Pi Network's credibility. Conflicting narratives risk confusing users, damaging trust, and attracting regulatory scrutiny. As the project moves closer to broader accessibility, defining milestones transparently will play a major role in determining whether Pi Network evolves into a widely adopted blockchain or remains a prolonged experiment.
