Pi Network a project hailed by millions as the “people’s crypto”has just launched a $100 million developer fund. But instead of celebration, it’s sparked outrage across its 70 million-strong user base.
A $100M Bombshell That Backfired
On May 14, 2025, the Pi Network Core Team unveiled “Pi Network Ventures,” a $100 million initiative to support developers building DApps on the Pi ecosystem. At first glance, this looked like the breakthrough the network needed.
But for the global army of “Pioneers” who’ve spent years mining Pi, referring friends, and evangelizing the project many of whom still haven’t reached 1,000 Pi the announcement felt like a slap in the face.
“Build Now, Trust Later?”
The backlash was swift. Instead of rewarding loyal users, the Core Team appears to be prioritizing developers many of whom are outsiders over the very community that built the network from scratch. Pioneers argue that they’ve already paid the price with their time, data, and patience. Now they’re being asked to wait even longer while others reap the rewards.
Price Reflects Trust Meltdown
Pi’s token price briefly pumped after the announcement, only to crash back to $0.80—an ominous sign of shaken investor confidence. The message from the market is loud and clear: vision without delivery breeds doubt.
Unanswered Questions Haunt the Ecosystem
The Pi Network community is no stranger to delays. From KYC verification issues to the elusive Open Mainnet launch, many promises have been made—few have been kept. The Core Team pledged 100 DApps before mainnet. Today, most remain vaporware.
Pioneers are now demanding answers:
Where is the ad revenue going?
What happened to previous hackathon funds?
Why has communication been so vague?
A Breaking Point for Believers
Crypto analyst Dr. Altcoin summed it up:
“Pioneers aren’t just users they’re the foundation. You can’t build a future by stepping on the past.”
As trust erodes and questions mount, one thing is clear: Pi Network may have the funding but without restoring community faith, the real cost could be its credibility.