Pi Network, a project building a cryptocurrency ecosystem for mobile users, is targeting an April 27, 2026, deadline for its Protocol 22 update, which aims to advance its smart contract tools on the project's testnet. The update is the latest in a series of technical preparations as the network moves toward a potential open mainnet.
The development follows the April 17 release of PiRC2, the project's first subscription-based smart contract. The Pi Core Team said developers are being pushed to integrate the new recurring payment logic into their own applications to identify and flag issues before any mainnet deployment. The full specification was released on GitHub for community review and feedback.
Pi's subscription contract design allows a user to approve a defined budget for recurring payments without pre-funding or locking the full amount upfront. Funds remain in the user's wallet until a charge is processed, a model intended to be more user-centric than implementations on other chains that require repeated signatures or off-chain coordination. The release of PiRC2 was preceded by the Protocol 21 mainnet upgrade, which improved node performance and transaction handling.
While the protocol upgrades represent significant technical milestones, their immediate market impact remains muted. The PI token operates in an "enclosed network," meaning it cannot be traded on public cryptocurrency exchanges, and the project has not announced a firm date for its open mainnet launch. This stands in contrast to upgrades on other blockchains like Starknet, whose recent Shinobi upgrade was met with a 15% price increase, or Cardano, which is seeking community funding for upgrades designed to directly compete on transaction speed. For Pi Network, the focus remains on building utility and testing infrastructure before allowing open market access.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
