Pi Network has launched a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) server on its Testnet, marking a significant technical milestone in the project's evolution from a mining-focused platform to one with real utility. The RPC server provides a standard endpoint, allowing developers to interact directly with the network using common tools to send requests and receive responses.
This infrastructure acts as a bridge between applications and the blockchain, enabling developers to check network status, test transactions, and crucially, simulate and test smart contracts before deployment. The Pi Core Team announced the launch on April 1, 2026, via social media, calling it a "major step toward Smart Contracts being simulated, tested, and deployed."
The update is part of a broader protocol upgrade path, with the network recently moving to version 20.2 following earlier updates (v19.6, v19.9) and an anticipated shift to v21. This technical foundation is expected to enable the future development of decentralized applications (dApps), with initial use cases anticipated in NFT-related apps, escrow services, and subscription systems.
While the developer community has welcomed the move as a positive step toward building a functional ecosystem, the broader Pi community reaction is mixed. Some users express ongoing concerns over delayed Mainnet migrations and KYC verification processes, feeling that progress is uneven.
Concurrently, the project's native token, PI, faces market challenges. After a pump-and-dump event following its Kraken listing in mid-March, which saw a violent rejection at $0.30, the token struggles below $0.18. An upcoming token unlock schedule also presents near-term selling pressure, with several days in April slated to release over 10 million PI coins, though unlocks are expected to drop below 5 million later in the month.
