Pi Coin Enters Real-World Use After Mainnet Launch

Pi coin, a cryptocurrency designed for accessibility, finally went live on its open mainnet in February 2025. This move unlocked real-world use cases after years in closed beta, allowing users to spend pi coin within peer-to-peer (P2P) communities and Know Your Customer (KYC)-verified pi apps. However, mainstream adoption is still in its early stages, with merchant adoption growing slowly in localized markets and app-based ecosystems.

Launched in March 2019 by a trio of Stanford Ph.D.s, the Pi Network aimed to solve one of crypto’s core problems: accessibility. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, which require specialized hardware to mine, Pi coin was designed to be mined directly from a smartphone, without draining battery or data. The Pi Network quickly went viral, spreading through invitation-only mining that created a sense of exclusivity and social virality. By 2021, the app had surpassed 20 million engaged users, or “Pioneers,” and by late 2023, that number had reportedly hit 47 million, making it one of the largest pre-mainnet crypto communities in the world.

Following the launch of Pi Network’s open mainnet in February 2025, Pi coin has become available for trading on several cryptocurrency exchanges, including OKX, Bitget, mexc, BitMart, and HTX. However, despite community efforts, including over 2 million votes in favor, Binance has not listed Pi coin as of April 2025. Concerns over blockchain compatibility, transparency, and regulatory issues have been touted as reasons for the hesitation.

While you might not be buying a tesla with Pi yet, the Pi community has been documenting purchases such as T-shirts, mugs, phone accessories, freelance graphic design services, basic electronics and gadgets, food, drinks, small restaurant meals, and handmade crafts and collectibles. Most of these transactions happen via social media groups, Telegram chats, or Pi’s own ecosystem apps such as Pi Browser and Pi Chat. These platforms act as informal marketplaces, often relying on trust and reputation rather than formal escrow systems.

Merchant adoption is still early but gaining traction. Now that Pi Network’s open mainnet is live, the conversation is no longer about “if” Pi will integrate with the broader crypto ecosystem — it’s about how fast it can onboard real merchants and use cases. One promising trend is the rise of KYC-verified Pi apps, platforms that require users and businesses to complete identity verification before participating in the Pi economy. This layer of trust helps Pi Network build a more legitimate commercial environment, where merchants feel more confident accepting Pi coin as payment.

In the months following the open mainnet launch, Pi Network’s developers and community have focused on scaling real-world integrations, which include local businesses in countries such as Nigeria, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines accepting Pi for goods and services. Pi Chain Mall and other marketplaces are enabling digital commerce in Pi. Third-party integrations are being tested to connect Pi with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, crosschain bridges, and non-fungible token (NFT) platforms. Pi Browser and Pi Apps allow decentralized application (DApp) developers to launch new payment-enabled services using mainnet Pi.

With over 100 Pi apps already built during the testnet phase — and a global army of KYC-verified users — Pi Network now has the tools to grow a real, scalable economy. Whether that turns into a bustling merchant network or a niche payment layer depends on what the community builds next. With that said, there’s growing interest in onboarding merchants through KYC-verified Pi apps, hinting at a slow but potentially scalable adoption model.

Now with the open mainnet live, Pi is also expected to launch integrated DeFi protocols, decentralized exchanges (DEXs), and NFT marketplaces. If these integrations succeed, serious use cases beyond the Pi bubble could be unlocked. During PiFest 2025, over 1.8 million users engaged in transactions using Pi coin across 58,000 active merchants worldwide. This event showcased Pi Network’s growing real-world adoption and its potential to facilitate everyday commerce.

Let’s be honest: Pi coin isn’t a Visa killer at the moment. It’s not ready to power global commerce or even compete with Bitcoin in El Salvador. However, it serves as a testbed for what crypto payments might look like when driven by community trust rather than institutional backing. Think of it less like a universal payment tool and more like a local barter system on crypto steroids. If the Pi Network nails its open mainnet rollout and expands merchant onboarding with real compliance and liquidity support, 2025 could mark the moment Pi goes from playful experiment to actual contender.

Yes — but with limitations. You can spend Pi coin, but only in select peer-to-peer (P2P) markets, community-driven stores, or pilot programs run by Pi Pioneers. Most of it is still happening in closed circuits, with no large-scale merchant integration yet. But is that really a problem? Maybe not. After all, the early days of Bitcoin weren’t much different — experimental, niche, and often dismissed. Back then, buying a pizza with Bitcoin (BTC) was groundbreaking. Now, BTC sits in exchange-traded fund (ETF) portfolios and corporate treasuries. Whether Pi Network breaks through or fades into obscurity depends on what happens next: regulatory clarity and whether the network can scale beyond its internal community. Believer or skeptic, one thing’s certain: The real-world test of the Pi Network economy is just getting started — and the world is watching.