Is Pi Network Losing Market Trust After Its Vague 2026 Roadmap?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

• Pi Network highlighted major 2025 milestones, including Open Network, AI-driven app creation, and ecosystem expansion.
• The lack of a clear and specific 2026 roadmap triggered visible community backlash and skepticism.
• PI price remains under pressure near 0.20 as weak demand and upcoming token unlocks weigh on sentiment.

Pi Network closed 2025 by calling it a defining year, pointing to the long-awaited launch of its Open Network in February as the moment the ecosystem finally connected with the broader blockchain world after more than six years of development. The milestone unlocked external connectivity, enabled real-world utility, and marked the formal arrival of the Pi token on mainnet.

In its year-end recap, the Core Team highlighted a wide range of developments that followed the Open Network launch. These included the rollout of Pi App Studio, an AI-powered creation tool that allows users without technical backgrounds to build and publish applications directly within the Pi ecosystem. According to the project, more than 13,400 chatbot apps and 24,400 custom apps were created, with over 51,800 Pioneers participating in app creation across published and unpublished projects.

The network also introduced Pi Network Ventures, a 100 million dollar initiative held in Pi and USD to invest in startups that expand ecosystem utility. Two investments were disclosed. OpenMind, which is building an operating system and open source protocol for collaborative robotics, used Pi’s global node network in a proof of concept for decentralized AI computing. CiDi Games, a gaming platform integrating Pi into its products, was backed as part of Pi’s broader push into gaming as a utility-driven vertical.

On the infrastructure side, Pi reported progress in KYC and mainnet migration. Fast Track KYC was introduced to allow earlier participation, while system improvements enabled more than 3.36 million tentatively approved users to fully pass verification.

As of year end, over 17.5 million users had passed KYC, and 15.8 million had migrated to mainnet. Node upgrades moved the protocol from version 19 to version 23, introduced Pi Desktop as a broader application layer for nodes, and expanded tooling for rankings, performance tracking, and Linux-based deployments.

Despite these developments, the project’s outlook for 2026 sparked visible backlash. The forward-looking section of the recap offered no concrete roadmap, stating only that next year would be shaped by long-term strategies and continued building by developers, partners, and the community. The lack of specificity drew sharp criticism from users, with some arguing that years of delays, vague timelines, and limited accountability had eroded confidence. One community member described the project as the slowest in history, predicting a steep decline in token value by mid 2026.

Market behavior has reflected that uncertainty. Pi has remained largely range-bound near the 0.20 dollar level while comparable altcoins posted gains during the same period. Technical indicators point to weak demand and shallow capital inflows, with buyers struggling to take control. Analysts note that Pi continues to respect a bearish structure, with consolidation appearing more like a pause within a broader downtrend rather than a confirmed recovery.

The near-term picture is further complicated by token unlocks. More than 6 million Pi tokens are scheduled to unlock on January 2, raising the risk of added selling pressure. While daily unlock volumes are expected to decline to under 4 million after mid January, the immediate impact adds to short term uncertainty as the asset fights to hold its current support.

As Pi Network moves into 2026, the contrast is clear. The project has delivered tangible infrastructure, tooling, and ecosystem expansion after years of anticipation. At the same time, the absence of clearly defined next steps has left parts of the community unconvinced and the market cautious. Whether continued building can translate into renewed confidence remains an open question.