On March 28, 2025, at 7:03 PM WIB, Pi Network unveiled a new initiative to reinvigorate its vast community: the auction of .pi domains. This move, launched on Pi Day 2025 (March 14), introduces a blockchain-based domain system aimed at boosting engagement and expanding the ecosystem’s utility. As the crypto market thrives Bitcoin above $87,000 and total market cap nearing $3 trillion Pi Network is betting on this step to rally its supporters and potentially reverse recent price struggles.
The .pi Domain Auction Unveiled
The .pi domain auction allows users to bid on personalized digital addresses (e.g., “yourname.pi”) using Pi Coin (PI), with a minimum bid of 10 PI per domain. Announced by the Pi Core Team, this platform-level application translates the network’s collective resources into a tangible utility, enabling pioneers, businesses, and developers to secure Web3 identities. The auction, accessible via the Pi Browser, kicked off earlier this month and has already sparked a flurry of activity.
Nicolas Kokkalis, Pi’s Founder and Head of Technology, emphasized the auction’s purpose in a recent video: “This gives our community a chance to claim their digital presence thoughtfully, without the rush or inflated costs of later markets.” The initiative also doubles as a token-burning mechanism, reducing circulating supply as users spend PI to bid, potentially bolstering its value over time.
A Community Revival Strategy?
Pi Network has faced challenges recently, with its price dropping from a high earlier this year to around $1.40-$1.50 today a 70% decline from its peak due to massive token unlocks and a lack of major exchange listings. The .pi domain auction aims to shift this narrative by:
Boosting Engagement: Encouraging pioneers to actively participate in the ecosystem, reinforcing their stake in Pi’s future.
Enhancing Utility: Offering a practical use case for PI, from personal branding to Web3 projects, potentially attracting external interest.
Burning Tokens: Locking away PI spent in the auction, which could ease oversupply concerns 82% of the 100 billion total supply remains under core team control, per PiScan data.
Posts on X reflect enthusiasm, with users calling it “a Web3 evolution akin to .com in the ‘90s,” though some question its practicality outside Pi’s closed ecosystem.
Mixed Predictions and Hurdles
Analysts see potential but remain cautious:
Bullish View: If the auction drives significant participation and token burns, PI could climb back to $2.00-$2.50, especially with tools like PiDaoSwap gaining traction. A Binance listing, still a community hope after an 86% approval vote in February, could push it further.
Bearish Risk: Limited external adoption of .pi domains and ongoing centralization fears might keep PI below $1.00, with some predicting a drop to $0.60 if momentum falters.
The broader market’s strength offers a tailwind, but Pi’s success hinges on execution. Technical indicators show a neutral RSI at 56 and a potential bullish wedge, yet the lack of transparency from the core team remains a sticking point.
What’s at Stake?
With over 1.4 million users in South Korea alone and a global community built over nearly a decade, Pi Network has the foundation to rebound. The domain auction, alongside events like the recent PiFest, aims to prove PI’s real-world value. Yet, without major exchange support or clearer decentralization plans, skepticism persists.
As of now, less than an hour after publication at 7:03 PM WIB, the crypto world is abuzz. Will the .pi domain auction reignite Pi Network’s spark, or is it a fleeting bid to stall its decline? The community’s response in the coming weeks will tell the tale.