Pi Network Sets September 15 Target for Final Protocol 27 Upgrade

• Pi Network began deploying Protocol 27 to Testnet 1 on August 21, with September 15, 2026 set as the target date for the Mainnet rollout.
• The Core Team has described Protocol 27 as the final planned upgrade in the current sequence, adding smart-contract authentication and groundwork for RPC servers, DEX functions, and AMM liquidity pools.
• A separate Pi App Studio pricing change lands on August 24, ending the 0.25 PI subsidized rate for most app creators.

Pi Network started deploying Protocol 27 on Testnet 1 on August 21 and is targeting September 15, 2026, for the upgrade to reach Mainnet. The deployment follows completion of Protocol 26 on Mainnet, which the Core Team confirmed days after its own August 11 node deadline had passed.

Protocol 27 closes a sequence of protocol releases the project has shipped through 2026, including version 25 in July, which the team acknowledged had proved harder to deploy than planned. The Core Team has described Protocol 27 on X as the final planned upgrade in that run, after which development can concentrate on giving applications a stable base.

The release introduces “more flexible and secure smart contract authentication capabilities,” according to the Core Team, giving accounts and applications additional ways to authorize transactions. Developers gain room to build more advanced authorization rules and transaction flows on top of that change.

What Protocol 27 Prepares for Pi Mainnet

Beyond authentication, Protocol 27 is expected to ready network infrastructure for RPC servers, decentralized exchange functions, and automated market maker liquidity pools. Those components govern how external services connect to the chain, how trading executes, and how liquidity pools behave. Each one sits upstream of the on-chain trading layer Pioneers have been waiting on.

The rollout runs in stages. Testnet 1 came first on August 21, Testnet 2 follows, and Mainnet deployment is scheduled for September 15. That sequencing gives node operators and developers two testing windows before the live network changes, and it leaves room for slippage. Pi Network has missed published upgrade dates before, most recently on versions 25 and 26.

Meanwhile, a smaller change lands sooner. From August 24, Pi App Studio ends the subsidized fee of 0.25 PI for creating an application and 0.25 PI for editing one. Most creators move to pricing that tracks actual service and AI costs, while applications showing real utility and activity from distinct users keep the subsidized rate. The stated aim is to push builders toward apps with users instead of test deployments.

PayPal Listing Sits in the Background

Separately, PayPal’s Pay with crypto developer documentation now lists Pi Network under the currency code PI, on a page carrying an August 11, 2026 update stamp. Neither company has announced a working integration, and crypto media account BSCN reported that PayPal has not been added to Pi Network’s KYB verification layer, which covers platforms including OKX and MEXC. The entry establishes eligibility on PayPal’s side and nothing further.

PI traded at $0.09242 on Sunday, according to CoinGecko. Market capitalization stands near $1.03 billion, with the token ranked 70 and up 4.5% over seven days. PI remains about 97% below its February 2025 peak of $2.99, a gap that frames every Pi Network price outlook for 2026 to 2030. September 15 now gives the market a dated, verifiable milestone to price against.

Editorial Note: Reported and edited by the Crypto India Magazine editorial team. We use AI tools to assist with research and drafting; every article is reviewed and fact-checked by our editors.

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