Pi Network said Protocol 27 went live on mainnet on September 15, 2026, completing what it described as the final planned step in a recent upgrade sequence. The release adds smart contract authentication, an automated market maker decentralized exchange, and RPC server infrastructure intended to make the network more usable for both developers and end users.
The update follows Protocol 26, which required all 421,000 node operators to upgrade by August 11 to remain connected. With that transition completed, Pi is now presenting mainnet as a more production-ready platform, built around on-chain identity verification, broader developer access, and native trading tools inside its own ecosystem.
What Protocol 27 adds
The main functional change is smart contract authentication, which allows applications on Pi to verify that a user is a real, KYC-verified participant directly on-chain. That is meant to remove the need for off-chain workarounds when developers want to build services that depend on verified identities.
Pi also introduced RPC server infrastructure, a standard access layer that lets outside developers connect to the network without having to run a full node themselves. In practice, that lowers a technical barrier for external apps and services that want to interact with Pi mainnet.
The third major feature is an AMM DEX that has moved from testnet to mainnet. According to the project, that enables direct token swaps, liquidity pools, and token launches through the Pi Launchpad within the Pi ecosystem.
Testnet rehearsal and rollout path
Before the mainnet release, Pi used a testnet exercise called SLICE to trial exchange activity and liquidity behavior. The project said the test drew 242,000 users, making it a large-scale rehearsal for the DEX and related market infrastructure ahead of the September 15 launch.
Protocol 27 was only possible after the network completed the earlier Protocol 26 transition. Pi had said all 421,000 node operators needed to update by August 11 to maintain connectivity, a requirement that effectively cleared the path for the current activation.
Scale of the network and the pressure ahead
Pi says it has more than 60 million registered users, about 18 million KYC-verified users, and roughly 14 million to 16 million users who have migrated tokens to mainnet. Those figures are important because Protocol 27 is designed to turn that large user base into active on-chain participation rather than keeping it centered on onboarding alone.
At the same time, the project faces supply pressure. The source article says 1.21 billion PI tokens are scheduled to unlock during 2026, on top of monthly unlocks averaging about 6.5 million PI per day. That creates an additional test for whether new utility on mainnet can keep pace with expanding circulating supply.
Broader product push and what comes next
Protocol 27 arrives alongside a wider set of Pi2Day product releases, including SoloHost for local AI and distributed computing on Pi Desktop, Pi Sign-In for passwordless login through Pi accounts, and PiVerify for identity verification aimed at businesses. Pi has also introduced other tools intended to support developers and external applications.
Even with the new release, Pi still faces open questions raised by critics and observers around decentralization, security audits, and a possible Binance listing. The immediate next confirmed step is the live operation of Protocol 27 on mainnet itself, which now serves as a practical test of whether Pi can deliver tangible product value beyond its original mobile mining and social onboarding model.
Source: crypto.news