Pi Network (Pi Coin), once a revolutionary, community-driven project, now strives to overcome a prolonged downturn. As of this writing, Pi Coin trades near $0.21, marking a drop of more than 90% from its peak market cap of over $17 billion. The spotlight is now on the imminent Protocol 23 upgrade, widely viewed as a pivotal chance for Pi’s resurgence.
The upcoming Protocol 23 upgrade is considered a major turning point for the Pi ecosystem. According to official sources, the upgrade is currently under testing and is expected to launch on the mainnet in Q4 2025 or early 2026. Pi community analyst Dr. Altcoin notes that Protocol 23 will align with Stellar Core v23.0.1, focusing on enhancing scalability, efficiency, and security.
The upgrade’s headline feature is Pi’s formal integration of decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities, including a decentralized exchange (DEX) and automated market maker (AMM). Users will be able to test trading and liquidity mining functions in a secure testnet environment before full deployment to the mainnet once stability is achieved.
Dr. Altcoin warns that technical enhancements alone are unlikely to resolve Pi’s liquidity crisis. He urges the core team to initiate token buyback or burn mechanisms to strengthen tokenomics and restore market confidence. Without these measures, even with the upgrade, Pi’s price recovery may remain out of reach.
Despite prevailing bearish sentiment, the market shows some positive signals. The next token unlock will release fewer than 120 million Pi, which could help ease selling pressure. Additionally, about 2.5 million Pi coins have moved from exchanges to self-custody wallets, suggesting some holders are opting for a long-term investment strategy. If Protocol 23 launches successfully, and delivers as promised, Pi Coin could regain momentum. It may then target higher price levels.
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Pi Coin’s development continues. Despite steep price declines and fragile sentiment, the ongoing technical upgrades and the resilience of its community remain promising. Market analysts generally agree: if Pi successfully delivers DeFi features and improves its tokenomics, the price could rebound 40% to 60% from recent lows. This could potentially bring Pi Coin to the $0.35 to $0.40 range.