The Pi Network core team has officially shut down its central node, marking a high-profile move toward decentralization.
It comes after the network promised a major ecosystem announcement aligning with the Consensus 2025 event in Toronto, which starts today.
Pi Network Closes Central Node Ahead of Source Code Reveal
Pi Network’s core team has reportedly shut down its central node, effectively taking a significant step toward decentralization. The network also announced plans to release its source code.
“The Pi core team has closed the central node, ready to release the source code. Pi Network will definitely shake up the Consensus 2025 event,” Pi Network VietNames shared on X (Twitter).
The post highlighted the central node’s shutdown and displayed a network diagram that appears to confirm its removal.
Pi Network shuts down central node. Source: Pi Network VietNames on X
The move aligns with Pi Network’s long-stated mission to transition from a centrally controlled project. It pushes toward a fully decentralized blockchain secured by its proprietary IPoS (Improved Proof of Stake) consensus mechanism.
“No more FUD about centralized scams or hidden logic. If there is a bug or a backdoor, you will know. If the consensus model is secure, you will see it. This is credibility on the blockchain,” Web 3 researcher and Pi advocate Tanner explained.
The planned release of Pi Network’s source code could increase transparency and community trust. This is amid long-standing concerns about the project’s actual decentralization status.
Pi Network’s referral-based mining model and opaque governance structure leave many questioning whether true decentralization is achievable. Critics have pointed to the network’s supernode architecture as a centralization risk.
As BeInCrypto reported, the Pi core team still plays a dominant role in Supernode selection. It also holds an estimated 82.8 billion PI coins, raising red flags about the concentration of power.
Strategic Timing As Consensus 2025 Starts
The timing of these developments is not coincidental. In a May 8 post, Pi Network hinted at a major announcement, likely to be formally revealed during Consensus 2025. The network has stoked anticipation, echoing a prospective big reveal in a Wednesday post.
“I think the time is now. 2025/5/14—Pi is about to Boom,” Pi UpdatesDaily teased in a post.
Amid Consensus 2025 euphoria, with Pi Network representatives in attendance, community members anticipate three events. Beyond Wednesday’s mysterious major ecosystem announcement, there is also “something GREAT/GOOD” to come on Thursday, May 15, and a speech by Pi Network’s Dr Nicolas in Toronto.
“May 14: Announcement from Pi Ecosystem, May 15: Hint of something GREAT/GOOD, May 16: Dr Nicolas himself will speak,” Pi UpdatesDaily stated.
Indeed, given its heft as one of blockchain’s biggest stages, Consensus 2025 could offer Pi Network an opportunity to redefine its public perception. Concerns linger over scam claims, its closed mainnet, and inaccessible coin transfers.
Despite claims of decentralization, users in some regions remain limited by network restrictions. Access to features like “lightning” still requires a VPN. This highlights lingering issues with accessibility and raises questions about how truly open the Pi ecosystem is.
Meanwhile, other positive developments highlight updates to the Pi Network mining app and Pi Browser on the Play Store.
“Both the Pi Network mining app and the Pi Browser app have new updates on the Play Store today, just before the mega announcement drops,” a Pi community leader highlighted.
Pi Network boasts over 100 million downloads for its mining app and 10 million for the Pi Browser. Updates notwithstanding, Pi Network community members still yearn for a Binance listing, a rather elusive milestone.
Pi may finally transition from a speculative mobile mining app into a legitimate Layer-1 protocol by displaying real progress in decentralization and open development.
Pi Network (PI) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto
Amidst these developments, Pi Network’s PI coin is up by nearly 5% in the last 24 hours. It was trading for $1.18 as of this writing.