Pi Network Shuts Central Node, Awaits Consensus 2025

Pi Network, a blockchain project with a user base exceeding 60 million, is on the cusp of a significant milestone as it approaches Consensus 2025 in Toronto. The event is anticipated to be a pivotal moment for the project, potentially altering the trajectory of its long-awaited Open Network.

The Pi Network community is abuzz with anticipation as the project has shut down its central node, marking a substantial step towards full decentralization. This move, announced on May 14, signifies the network's transition from a controlled environment under the Core Team's leadership to a community-driven infrastructure. The shutdown of the central node is a critical step in achieving the goal of a truly decentralized Web3 ecosystem.

Alongside the node shutdown, the Core Team hinted at the imminent release of Pi’s source code, a long-awaited request from the community. Open-sourcing the code would enable third-party developers to create tools and decentralized applications (dApps) on the Pi Network, thereby enhancing the ecosystem's credibility and opening new use cases.

To maintain network connectivity, all Pi Node operators are now required to upgrade to the latest Horizon version. This upgrade is mandatory and includes vital performance, security, and protocol enhancements necessary for Pi’s eventual transition to the Open Mainnet. Failure to upgrade could result in disconnection from the network, and non-compliant node operators may be excluded from future consensus participation. The urgency behind this upgrade underscores the Core Team's commitment to network readiness ahead of Consensus 2025.

Consensus 2025, one of the blockchain industry’s biggest annual events, is just around the corner, and expectations are running high. Pi Network is slated to make major announcements at the event, with speculation rife about potential revelations. Analysts predict that Pi could announce a listing on Binance or another top-tier exchange, the integration of a native DeFi protocol, or partnerships with major tech players. The presence of influential figures such as Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis at the event has only amplified the anticipation.

While no official confirmation has been made regarding a listing, the strategic timing and Pi’s accelerated technical moves suggest something substantial is coming. A listing on Binance alone could instantly catapult Pi Coin into the global spotlight, driving liquidity, investor confidence, and real-world use.

Despite the progress, many community members remain frustrated. The unofficial price of Pi Coin dropped by more than 15% over the past 24 hours, largely due to ongoing limitations in token accessibility. Users still can’t freely trade, transfer, or withdraw their mined tokens across exchanges, as Pi remains in an enclosed network phase. This has sparked criticism, particularly from the Chinese community, where people have used social media to criticize the project’s lack of openness and postponed fulfillment of its promises. Accusations of “centralized behavior” and “broken timelines” continue to erode trust among early adopters.

The Core Team has responded by reiterating that full access will come only once the network demonstrates long-term stability, decentralization, and security—a justification that some supporters accept, while others see it as yet another stall tactic.

Pi Network’s roadmap has always been ambitious: bringing blockchain to the masses through zero-fee mobile mining, social consensus mechanisms, and a closed-loop economic system. But now, with the central node offline, Horizon in full force, and source code on the verge of release, the community faces a defining question: Can Pi finally deliver on its promises—or will Consensus 2025 expose its limitations?

So far, the Core Team has remained tight-lipped about the full scope of the announcements. But if even a fraction of the speculation proves true, Consensus 2025 could mark the beginning of a new era for Pi Network—and possibly one of the largest blockchain onboarding events in crypto history. Until then, one thing is clear: the clock is ticking, and the world is watching.