Pi Network Unleashes Stellar Protocol v25 on Mainnet - Crypto’s Sleeping Giant Awakens
Pi Network just flipped the switch. The long-awaited activation of Stellar Protocol v25 on its mainnet is live—and it’s a game-changer for the project’s 47 million-strong user base.
Why This Upgrade Isn't Just Another Line of Code
This isn't a routine patch. Protocol v25 overhauls the network's core consensus mechanism, slashing transaction finality times and ramping up throughput. It's the technical bedrock Pi needs to transition from a 'mobile mining' experiment to a functional, scalable blockchain. Think of it as swapping out a scooter engine for a V8.
The Interoperability Play
By integrating deeper with the Stellar ecosystem, Pi isn't just building a walled garden. It's laying pipelines to a established network of decentralized exchanges and asset issuers. Suddenly, the path for Pi's eventual native token to find liquidity and utility gets a lot shorter—assuming, of course, it ever actually launches to the open market.
A Reality Check for the Hype
Let's be clear: mainnet activation is a massive technical milestone, but it's not a magic money button. The crypto space is littered with 'revolutionary' protocols that nailed the tech but flopped on economics. Pi now faces its toughest test: proving its tokenomics aren't just a clever scheme to print digital coupons for 47 million users. The real work—building actual demand beyond the app's login screen—starts now.
The upgrade is complete. The speculation? That's just getting warmed up.
Mainnet upgrade activates after Stellar governance vote
The mainnet deployment follows a governance vote conducted by layer-1 blockchain Stellar’s developers on Thursday, when more than 15.8 million KYC-verified mainnet users were eligible to vote on the network’s next upgrade.
#PiNetwork's long-awaited stellar Protocol v25, featuring the upgraded privacy protocol X-Ray, is now live on the mainnet, bringing the following advantages:
🔐 Smooth migration for existing Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZK) applications
🔐 More efficient proving system
🔐 Lower costs… pic.twitter.com/RcbtxVwl7i
— PiNetwork DEX⚡️阿龙 (@fen_leng) January 23, 2026
Pi Network had already activated Testnet 25 on January 7, completing synchronization with Stellar Protocol 25. The testnet phase focused on improving smart contract functionality and strengthening overall network stability ahead of the mainnet release.
While Testnet 25 allowed developers to experiment with the upgraded protocol, the final transition required Stellar’s community approval through the governance process. On Stellar, every transaction is auditable, the community discusses protocol changes, and every line of code is visible to anyone who wants to verify it.
The main feature of Protocol v25 is X-Ray, an upgraded privacy protocol that supports zero-knowledge cryptography while maintaining transparency at the base layer. According to the network, the upgrade is intended to make the migration of existing zero-knowledge proof applications smoother, improve the efficiency of proof systems, and reduce costs for ZK-based smart contracts.
Through X-Ray, Pi Network will connect with the zero-knowledge ecosystem, opening the door for developers on the platform to build advanced privacy applications.
The protocol is embedded with native support for BN254, a popular pairing-friendly elliptic curve used in onchain verification for ZK-proofs. Also known as alt_bn128 or BN128, BN254 uses precompiled contracts to connect with the ethereum Virtual Machine.
It provides an estimated 100-110 bits of security, balancing performance, cost efficiency, and cryptographic protection in decentralized applications.
The other feature of X-Ray is Poseidon, a family of hash functions optimized for modern ZK apps. It could help Pi Network developers deploy privacy features without manually customizing their code.
App Studio upgrades simplify payment integration
Alongside the protocol mainnet upgrade, Pi Network has launched a feature in its App Studio that simplifies in-app payment integration. The platform now supports in-app payments using Test-Pi, which creators can use to embed payment interactions directly into their applications.
Even with a recently introduced developer library that reduces technical integration time to about 10 minutes, creators still had to learn Pi’s APIs and transaction logic to integrate payments. Pi App Studio now abstracts that complexity into non-technical, interactive steps within its creation process.
With the current version of the feature, creators can add Test-Pi payment interactions that apply during a single active “session,” such as purchasing items or unlocking in-app features. A “session” refers to one self-contained instance of activity, including a round, task, or discrete app experience.
Pioneers must first create a new custom app within the App Studio using the Pi Browser. After the app is created, users are instructed to tap the “Customize App With Pi AI button” and mention the words “Pi payment” in the prompt to activate payment functionality.
Pi Network ads deployment causes temporary disruptions
According to several posts on X, thousands of Pi Network users reported queues and error messages in the Pi Browser app on Thursday. Some Pioneers insinuated that the downtimes came from the launch of the new App Studio features and the Protocol 25 mainnet.
🚨 Attention Pi Pioneers! 🚨
We’re thrilled to announce that we’re experiencing an exciting surge in traffic as our community grows! 🌟 To ensure everything runs smoothly, you’ve been placed in a short waiting queue.
No need to uninstall the app or create a new account—your… pic.twitter.com/DIDMPxUo7Z
— Pi Coin Magazine (@Pi_CoinMagazine) January 22, 2026
The surge in app activity also followed the introduction of tools that allow non-coders to add AI-powered Test-Pi payments through simple prompts. The Pi Core Team announced during the day that users can now deploy app iterations in Pi App Studio by watching advertisements instead of paying Pi directly.
The ad-based option is available when a Pioneer’s App Studio balance drops below 0.25 Pi. However, the network cautioned that ad revenue generated through the ads is not enough to cover app generation and deployment costs. The expenses include API usage and server infrastructure, both of which are subsidized by the platform’s developers.
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