Free things are quite expensive

One of the founders of the Pi Network, Dr. Fan Chengdiao, just made a statement across the ocean:

After the open mainnet, Dr. Fan released a video immediately:

First, I want to congratulate over 16 million pioneers worldwide for transitioning to the open network. This is the result of our collective efforts over the past six years. We should celebrate this historic moment in the development of the network. Looking back at the development of Pi, it has always been a unique project. Some people may feel it is different from others, and they are right. Pi is a nonconformist. Many innovations stem from those who challenge conventions, norms, and established practices. In the early days of cryptocurrency development, many projects raised funds through initial coin offerings (ICOs), but Pi has never done so. Pi has never sold tokens through an ICO and ensures that everyone can obtain them for free. 80% of Pi tokens belong to the public and the community. When a cryptocurrency project can launch based solely on a white paper, a smart contract, or even just an emoji today, the Pi community has spent six years building its infrastructure, ecosystem, and ensuring it has usable practical functionality. Before the open network, most addresses for the majority of blockchains were unverified. Pi chose to verify the identities of millions of users through Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) processes to ensure that the personal and business identities on the mainnet are authentic and reliable. Because Pi firmly believes that true decentralization is not at odds with authenticity and legitimacy. Some cryptocurrency critics are concerned that Pi's user base is too mainstream. Is that a problem? We don't think so. This is precisely the greatest advantage that the Pi Network has been striving to build over the past six years. Ordinary people like the pioneers are the driving force behind Pi's development, as Pi aims to address issues of large-scale application and real-world practicality. Pi welcomes both cryptocurrency enthusiasts and the mainstream public. History shows that technology can only develop sustainably by meeting the genuine needs of the mainstream population. With this development trend, the entire cryptocurrency industry will also benefit from the influx of a large mainstream audience, jointly creating the true utility of blockchain technology. Today, the open network, what does this mean? This means that the firewall of the Pi blockchain has been removed, enabling connections to the outside world. This makes it easier for merchants to sell goods and services in local markets; developers can further develop applications and refine business model logic; creators can gain greater influence; ordinary pioneers can also connect with each other and conduct transactions. For new developers, welcome to join this widely distributed crypto network. If you already have a business model, come test and sell your products in the Pi Network. For developers who do not yet have a business model but have excellent application experiences, the Pi application network has prepared a business model for you, and the platform will bring you traffic to help you achieve profitability. Meanwhile, it creates the usage value of Pi for all pioneers, which is very beneficial for the overall Pi Network. So, pioneers, let me say one last thing, don't let external noise disturb you. Focus on the key matters, focus on things that can make an impact in the crypto field and the world. Keep working hard, keep creating, and everything else will fall into place.