Pi Network (PI) Tokenomics
Pi Network (PI) Tokenomics & Price Analysis
Explore key tokenomics and price data for Pi Network (PI), including market cap, supply details, FDV, and price history. Understand the token's current value and market position at a glance.
Pi Network (PI) Information
What Is Pi Network?
Pi Network is a cryptocurrency project and blockchain ecosystem built around the idea of making crypto mining accessible to everyone globally. Users with no technical background can still use their mobile devices to mine Pi coins with minimal energy consumption. Since its debut in 2019, the project has attracted a massive global community of users, known as Pioneers, who mine PI through participation in a social consensus model.
How Pi Network Cryptocurrency Began?
The Pi Network cryptocurrency officially began its journey on Pi Day, March 14, 2019, with a singular, ambitious mission to dramatically simplify and accelerate cryptocurrency adoption for everyone.
The project introduced a revolutionary approach to earning crypto, centered on a lightweight mobile app. This application rewards users simply for daily check-ins and creating trust circles, replacing traditional, complex barriers with unmatched simplicity. Most importantly, battery consumption is minimal. Below is a simplified timeline of Pi Coin key development stages:
- March 2019: The app launches in beta
- March 2020: Pi Testnet begins
- December 2021: Enclosed Mainnet phase begins (internal blockchain goes live)
- February 20, 2025: Open Mainnet launches
Who Created Pi Network?
The Pi Network project was founded by a core team of Stanford University graduates, combining deep expertise in computer science, social behavior, and anthropology.
The key Pi Network founders are:
- Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis: Holding a Stanford PhD in Computer Science, Dr. Kokkalis is the Head of Technology and directly responsible for the technical architecture of the Pi blockchain.
- Dr. Chengdiao Fan: A key founder with a Stanford PhD in Anthropology and Social Behavior. Dr. Fan focuses on the social utility and human-centric design of the Pi Network.
- Vincent McPhillip: Co-founder who served as Head of Community. McPhillip departed the project in 2021.
Why the Founders' Backgrounds Matter?
The founders' Stanford backgrounds were critical in shaping Pi Network. Their expertise allowed them to integrate technical innovation in distributed systems with social trust-building mechanisms, which form the foundation of Pi's consensus model.
How to Mine Pi Coin?
Mining Pi Coin is straightforward. Users simply install the Pi Network mobile app, log in, and tap the lightning icon once every 24 hours to activate mining. The process does not rely on heavy computation. Instead, Pi Network uses the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), a social trust model where users form security circles that help support the network's decentralized consensus.
Pi Network classifies users into several roles:
- Pioneer: A user who mines PI daily
- Contributor: Builds a security circle by adding trusted individuals
- Ambassador: Invites new users and earns rewards
- Node Operator: Runs the Pi Node application on a desktop or laptop computer to support network consensus
Mining rewards decrease as more people join, meaning early users benefit the most.
How to Obtain Pi?
Unlike other cryptocurrencies, Pi was initially obtained through mobile mining:
- Download the Pi Network app and register an account
- Tap the lightning button once per day to start mining
- Invite friends to join to increase your mining rate
- Complete KYC (identity verification) before PI can be transferred to the mainnet wallet
Today, PI is listed on major exchanges, including MEXC, allowing users to trade directly on the platform and check the Pi coin price daily:
- Sign up for an account on MEXC and complete KYC Verification
- Deposit funds using a bank card or USDT
- In the Spot trading section, select the PI/USDT trading pair to buy PI
- This shift marks Pi's transition from mining without tradability to actual circulation on the open market
Can I Buy Anything With Pi Coin?
Yes, you can spend Pi in certain cases, though mainly within the Pi community. Users have traded Pi for small items such as shirts, accessories, gadgets, and food through informal barter or community-led marketplaces. Events such as PiFest 2025, which saw over 125,000 registered merchants and 58,000 active sellers participate, show growing interest in Pi's real-world usage. However, major retailers and mainstream apps do not yet accept Pi, as adoption is still in the early stages and remains community-driven.
How to Complete Pi Network KYC?
To unlock and transfer mined PI to the mainnet:
- Install the Pi Browser app
- Create a mainnet wallet and write down the recovery phrase
- Open the KYC section in the Pi Browser app and upload your identification documents
- Complete facial recognition through the camera
- Submit your application (usually requires a small fee in PI)
Once approved, your PI balance can be migrated to your mainnet wallet.
Is Pi Network Legitimate?
Pi does not require upfront investment or fees to start mining, making it easy for anyone to begin. This sets it apart from many fraudulent crypto projects. The founders and the core team are public and visible, and the development has been continuously achieved for multiple milestones. The project is best described as a long-term, experimental approach to building a decentralized ecosystem with community-first principles. However, it is too early to declare Pi a definitive success. It is neither a get-rich-quick scheme nor a scam, but rather a slow-developing cryptocurrency project worth monitoring as it matures.
Pi Coin Price Today: Hype vs. Reality and Future Value
The question of "How much is 1 Pi coin worth?" generates immense curiosity. While speculation and peer-to-peer trades exist, a stable Pi coin price is still being established.
Current Price
Speculative Trading: Prices on centralized exchanges (including MEXC, Bitget, OKX, and Gate.io) often fluctuate around $0.24-$0.26 (as of late November 2025).
The Caveat: These prices may not fully reflect market value because trading volume remains limited compared to established cryptocurrencies. The project's development team has emphasized that building real-world utility is the priority over short-term price movements.
Ultimately, Pi's true value will depend on real-world utility, not just its exchange price.
In-Depth Token Structure of Pi Network (PI)
Dive deeper into how PI tokens are issued, allocated, and unlocked. This section highlights key aspects of the token's economic structure: utility, incentives, and vesting.
The Pi Network (PI) is a decentralized cryptocurrency platform designed to allow users to mine Pi coins directly from mobile devices with minimal energy consumption. The project aims to build an inclusive peer-to-peer ecosystem powered by the Pi cryptocurrency.
The token economics of Pi Network are structured to incentivize widespread participation, network growth, and security, primarily through a mobile-first mining mechanism.
Issuance Mechanism
The Pi Network utilizes a mining mechanism designed to incentivize network growth and security. This mechanism rewards users based on their contributions, such as app usage and node operation.
- Total Supply Cap: The total supply of Pi is capped at 100 billion Pi.
- Mining: Users, referred to as "Pioneers," mine PI through the platform by logging in regularly and actively participating. This process ensures the accumulation of PI tokens before the eventual Token Generation Event (TGE).
- Inflation/Burning: Analysts have noted the absence of a token burning mechanism as a key issue that could hinder significant price gains and contribute to potential selling pressure due to the large token supply.
Allocation Mechanism
The total supply of 100 billion Pi is divided between the community and the core team according to a predefined ratio:
| Allocation Category | Percentage of Total Supply |
|---|---|
| Pi Community | 80% |
| Pi Core Team | 20% |
This allocation strategy is intended to create a widely accessible cryptocurrency ecosystem by distributing the vast majority of the tokens to the user base.
Usage and Incentive Mechanism
The Pi token serves as the native currency of the network and is used to transfer value and support decentralized peer-to-peer transactions. The incentive structure is designed to drive utility and network development:
- Value Transfer: PI is the primary medium for transferring value within the platform.
- Ecosystem Development: The network is focused on creating a utility-driven ecosystem that supports third-party apps, merchants, and developers. This includes plans for a virtual storefront where users can offer goods and services, and a decentralized app store for building decentralized applications (dApps) using the Pi Network infrastructure.
- Mining Rewards: The mining mechanism incentivizes users to contribute to network growth and security through rewards tied to contributions like app usage and node operation.
- Scalability Solution: Pi Network employs the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), which is designed to enable faster, lower-cost transactions, making PI viable for everyday use cases such as payments and remittances.
Locking Mechanism and Unlocking Time
The Pi Network employs a vesting and migration process, particularly during its transition phases, which involves locking and unlocking tokens.
- Core Team Allocation: The 20% allocation reserved for the Pi core team is set to be unlocked on a gradual basis.
- Mainnet Migration: The network has been in an Enclosed Mainnet phase, a transitional period requiring Pioneers to complete Know Your Customer (KYC) verification and Mainnet migration to secure their mined Pi tokens and prepare for the upcoming Open Network phase.
- Token Unlocks and Volatility: The unlocking of tokens is a significant factor influencing market dynamics. For instance, over 215 million PI tokens were set to unlock around July 2025, with 13.3 million unlocking on a specific day, which analysts suggest could increase selling pressure and introduce price volatility. Similarly, in April 2025, 2.3 million tokens were set to unlock, increasing to nearly 10 million by mid-April, raising concerns about potential sell-offs.
The network's transition to the Open Network phase, which began in February 2025, allows for external connectivity and integration, enhancing Pi's utility and reach beyond its native ecosystem.
Pi Network (PI) Tokenomics: Key Metrics Explained and Use Cases
Understanding the tokenomics of Pi Network (PI) is essential for analysing its long-term value, sustainability, and potential.
Key Metrics and How They Are Calculated:
Total Supply:
The maximum number of PI tokens that have been or will ever be created.
Circulating Supply:
The number of tokens currently available on the market and in public hands.
Max Supply:
The hard cap on how many PI tokens can exist in total.
FDV (Fully Diluted Valuation):
Calculated as current price × max supply, giving a projection of total market cap if all tokens are in circulation.
Inflation Rate:
Reflects how fast new tokens are introduced, affecting scarcity and long-term price movement.
Why Do These Metrics Matter for Traders?
High circulating supply = greater liquidity.
Limited max supply + low inflation = potential for long-term price appreciation.
Transparent token distribution = better trust in the project and lower risk of centralised control.
High FDV with low current market cap = possible overvaluation signals.
Now that you understand PI's tokenomics, explore PI token's live price!
How to Buy PI
Interested in adding Pi Network (PI) to your portfolio? MEXC supports various methods to buy PI, including credit cards, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer trading. Whether you're a beginner or pro, MEXC makes crypto buying easy and secure.
Pi Network (PI) Price History
Analysing the price history of PI helps users understand past market movements, key support/resistance levels, and volatility patterns. Whether you are tracking all-time highs or identifying trends, historical data is a crucial part of price prediction and technical analysis.
PI Price Prediction
Want to know where PI might be heading? Our PI price prediction page combines market sentiment, historical trends, and technical indicators to provide a forward-looking view.
Why Should You Choose MEXC?
MEXC is one of the world's top crypto exchanges, trusted by millions of users globally. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, MEXC is your easiest way to crypto.
Disclaimer
Tokenomics data on this page is from third-party sources. MEXC does not guarantee its accuracy. Please conduct thorough research before investing.
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1 PI = 0.22262 USD
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