Pioneers, Pi Network will officially transition to the Open Network period of Mainnet at 8:00AM UTC on February 20, 2025!
As a result of the hard work and commitment from the entire Pi community over the last six years, the Pi community is taking the enormous next step in achieving the Pi vision of the world’s most inclusive peer-to-peer ecosystem and online experience, fueled by Pi, the native token of Pi Network
We’ve reached 10.14 million Mainnet migrations, exceeding the original 10 million goal, due to upgrades announced in the last timeline update, and Pi is ready to open its utilities-driven ecosystem where our now over 19 million identity-verified Pioneers can use Pi—a cryptocurrency with real-world functions and applications backing it.
On launch day, stay tuned for more information about Open Network! For now, let’s take a look back at Pi’s journey, what to expect at Open Network launch, updates on Open Network conditions, and how you can prepare in the meantime!
Our Journey Here
Pi Network’s over six-year journey to Open Network has been built on milestones and deliberate phases driven by Pioneers, the ecosystem, and community. The current Mainnet Phase 3 began in December 2021 with the launch of the Enclosed Network period, which meant Mainnet was live but with a firewall that prevents any external connectivity. This period set the stage for Open Network, allowing time for:
- Pioneers to complete KYC and obtain Pi on Mainnet;
- Developers to build real apps and utilities for the Pi ecosystem; and
- The Core Team to release and improve various Pi features and utilities.
A new mining rewards issuance formula was also released in March 2022 early on in the Enclosed Network, following a declining exponential model that balances the network’s need for growth, accessibility, longevity, and scarcity while right-sizing the Pioneers’ rewards for contribution to the network.
The Grace Period was enacted July 1st, 2024—accelerating progress towards Open Network—to strike a balance between providing Pioneers adequate time to pass KYC and be eligible to obtain Pi on Mainnet, while creating enough incentive and urgency for people to pass KYC and migrate to Open Network. In preventing unverified Pi beyond the rolling 6-month KYC period from obtaining Pi on Mainnet, this strategy helps Pi get freed up for mining by other Pioneers.
All the while, Pioneers who obtained Pi on Mainnet were able to transact Pi with other Pioneers within the network. For example, PiFest 2024, a one week event, facilitated the transaction of Pi for goods and services between Pi merchants and Pioneer shoppers on a local level, attracting over 27,000 active sellers and 28,000 test merchants across 160 countries, and participation of over 950,000 Pioneers within just a few days. PiFest showcased Pi’s complete ecosystem for local commerce integration, connecting store discovery through Map of Pi, payments via Pi Wallet, transactions on Pi Mainnet blockchain, and social sharing on Fireside Forum—all seamlessly working across different existing Pi applications
What to Expect from Open Network at Launch
The launch of the Open Network brings an important new change—external connectivity—to the layer-1 Pi blockchain creating an environment where Pi can connect securely with external systems, expanding opportunities for Pioneers and businesses.
Connecting Pi With the Outside World
The transition to Open Network will enable external connectivity on the Mainnet blockchain, allowing Pi to interface with other compliant networks and systems. This means Pioneers will be able to engage in transactions beyond the Pi ecosystem, expanding Pi’s utility and reach.
Upon Open Network launch with the firewall removed, anyone can technically add nodes to the Mainnet blockchain, in terms of running the protocol and connecting to the network. The Core Team will gradually invite Pioneers to transition their nodes from Testnet to Mainnet via the desktop node UI, prioritizing those with strong historical contributions and reliability scores. Node rank data will be made public as soon as possible.
Business Compliance Requirements for Network Participation
To maintain a safe and compliant ecosystem, participation in Mainnet blockchain activities will require KYC (Know Your Customer) verification for Pioneers, and KYB (Know Your Business) verification for businesses. Overall, Pi intends to be a safe Web3 space where Pioneers can have external connections with the Pi they hold—KYB’d businesses and partners interface with real KYC’d Pioneers, and vice versa.
Businesses can apply for KYB verification through the webpage here. Once Open Network launches, Pioneers can see a list of KYB-verified businesses on the Pi website.
Update on Open Network Conditions
The Open Network date was chosen based on the Open Network Conditions set and shared with the whole community in December 2023. Pi Network’s progress in completing the Open Network conditions has continued and accelerated through community efforts since the December 2024 timeline update. The network has now reached all conditions required for Open Network, and thus it is time for the Open Network!
Let’s go over the conditions in detail below.