Pi Network is significantly advancing its transition to a fully decentralized mainnet by moving away from its centrally controlled test environment. The project is deliberately transferring more responsibility for validation and coordination to its global community, marking a milestone in its long-term plan. The network aims to reflect genuine decentralization across all layers, moving beyond a hybrid model.
Concurrently, Pi nodes are becoming far more active, now being used to verify transactions and strengthen network security. The system no longer relies on a single authority, distributing trust among multiple participants, which enhances network robustness and reduces the risk of single points of failure. This change brings Pi closer to core blockchain principles.
To support this transition, Pi Network has launched comprehensive node software upgrades. Node operators must upgrade to the new version to remain compatible with the evolving mainnet architecture, ensuring easier synchronization between nodes and preventing fragmentation in the decentralization process. These upgrades indicate Pi's infrastructure has moved beyond the experimental phase.
Unlike proof-of-work systems, Pi does not require energy-intensive mining. Instead, it builds on the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), which uses trust-based connections to validate transactions between nodes, allowing users to run nodes on standard computer hardware. This makes participation more inclusive while maintaining security and speed.
In a parallel security development, Pi Network has introduced a mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA) requirement for Pioneers wishing to migrate their tokens to the mainnet. This new rule, communicated via community channels, affects users who have passed KYC but not completed their mainnet transfer. They must now enable 2FA—by adding a trusted email address for wallet ownership confirmation—before migration can proceed via the "Confirm Your Pi Wallet" step in the mainnet checklist. Accounts without 2FA will remain pending. The team states this adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized transfers and wallet takeovers.
This security push coincides with a critical deadline for node operators. The community is in a final 48-hour countdown to a mandatory protocol upgrade, part of a larger path from version 19 to version 23 designed to improve stability and prepare for broader public access. The Pi Core Team has warned that nodes failing to upgrade risk disconnection from the network, prompting a rush among operators to update their systems with the help of spreading guides and tutorials.
These coordinated technical and security steps are part of Pi Network's broader push toward its next open mainnet phase. The team is focusing on security, compliance, and ecosystem growth, with community posts also mentioning regulatory steps related to European crypto rules. As migration activity rises, these measures form the foundational base for the network's next stage of development, aiming to strengthen its credibility as a global, community-driven digital currency platform.
