Pi Network Launch Date: A Guide to the Mainnet Journey

After years of waiting, Pi Network hit its big milestone on February 20, 2025. Folks got confused with all these different "launch dates" thrown around in Pi's history. What really happened? When? Let's dive in.

Pi Network's Launch Timeline: The Full Story

Pi didn't just launch once. It evolved. Here's how it all unfolded:

March 2019 – The First Step

Pi Network appeared as a mobile app. Revolutionary idea. Mine crypto from your phone! No massive energy bills like Bitcoin. Just tap and earn. Simple.

2021 – Testing Begins

Network moved to testing phase. Developers got their hands dirty. The blockchain underwent serious stress tests. Foundations were laid. The future seemed promising.

December 2021 – Mainnet with Walls

Pi launched its mainnet, but kept it locked up. Kind of like a gated community. Users could make Pi transactions inside the ecosystem but couldn't venture outside. No external exchanges. Not yet.

February 20, 2025 – The Great Opening

8:00 AM UTC. The walls came down. Pi Network removed its firewall and launched the Open Network. External connectivity became possible. This date? It changed everything.

What Each Phase Actually Meant

Phase 1 – The Beta Years (2019-2021)

Pi focused on getting users. Lots of them. The app was stupidly simple – press a button daily, mine Pi. Cryptocurrency for everyone, not just tech wizards.

Phase 2 – Getting Technical (2021-2023)

Pi evolved from app to ecosystem. Developers started building applications on it. The core team tinkered with the infrastructure. Things got serious.

Phase 3 – The Walled Garden (December 2021-February 2025)

Pi had a working blockchain. Real transactions happened. But it was isolated. Like a practice run for the real thing. Users waited. Sometimes impatiently.

Phase 4 – Freedom (February 2025-now)

February 20, 2025. The gates opened. Pi connected with the outside world. The ecosystem could finally breathe. It seems like this was what everyone had been waiting for.

February 20, 2025: The Big Day

Launch Day Drama

The day Pi broke free. At 8:00 AM UTC, the firewall disappeared. Pi joined the wider crypto world.

Price went wild. Started around $1.47, shot up to $2.10 – a 45% jump! Then reality hit. Early miners cashed out. Price dropped to about $1.01 by day's end. Crypto, am I right?

Trading volume exploded – up 1,700%. Years of pent-up energy released in one day. Not entirely surprising when millions suddenly got trading access.

The Numbers Game

Some impressive stats made this launch possible:

• 10.14 million Pioneers moved to mainnet. They beat the 10 million goal.
• 19 million Pioneers completed identity verification. Way past the 15 million target.
• Over 100 apps ready at launch. The ecosystem wasn't just talk.

Years of community building paid off. Pi had reached critical mass.

What It Meant for Users

Old-Timers

Long-time miners faced a new reality. KYC verification became mandatory. No exceptions.

Complete the process? You could transfer Pi and trade it. Skip it? You missed the party. Some users weren't thrilled about this requirement.

Newcomers

The 2025 launch created paths for fresh faces too. Mining's initial phase had ended, but new users could still:

• Complete verification
• Use Pi apps
• Help the community

They joined a mature ecosystem. The pioneers had built something real.

The Price Rollercoaster

Pi's price on launch day tells quite a story:

• Started: $1.47
• Peak: $2.10 (45% up!)
• Ended: $1.01 (ouch)
• Trading volume: Skyrocketed 1,700%

The surge showed excitement. The drop? Reality.

Supply Math

Pi's maximum supply is massive – 100 billion tokens. About 9.7 billion currently circulate. This gap created questions. What happens when more tokens enter the market?

Trading has somewhat stabilized since. The market's still figuring out what Pi is actually worth long-term. Kind of a work in progress.