Pi Network advances towards smart contract support amid rising momentum and community growth

Pi Network solidifies its dominance in mobile mining with a burgeoning user base and a key upgrade on the horizon, signalling a significant step towards broader Web3 functionality amidst recent price gains.

Pi Network is extending its lead in the mobile mining corner of the crypto market, with data from CoinGecko showing a market capitalisation of about $1.85 billion, or roughly 95% of the sector’s $1.94 billion total. That scale leaves it far ahead of rival projects in the category, while recent trading has also turned more active, with PI changing hands near $0.1795 after a daily rise of 5.5% and volume of $23.6 million.

The token’s recent momentum has been reinforced by the network’s large community footprint. Pi Network says it has more than 18 million KYC-verified users, a figure that continues to underpin its ecosystem as the project pushes toward wider utility. Market participants have also pointed to exchange flow data showing outflows exceeding inflows by around 310,000 tokens, a pattern often read as a sign of reduced immediate selling pressure.

Attention is now shifting to the Protocol 22 upgrade, which is due on April 27 and is expected to bring smart contract support into the network. Reporting from Hoka News and Cryptotimes said the deadline is mandatory for node operators, with those failing to update at risk of being disconnected. The upgrade is being framed as an important step towards broader functionality, network stability and future development.

Pi Network’s technical roadmap is also feeding broader speculation about how quickly the ecosystem can mature. Hoka News reported that Testnet2 has already reached Protocol 22, signalling progress towards smart contract deployment and a more complete Web3 stack. With co-founders Chengdiao Fan and Nicolas Kokkalis also scheduled to speak at Consensus 2026 in Miami, the project is entering a period of heightened visibility just as traders look for confirmation that its recent price strength can hold.

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Source: Noah Wire Services