A little over three months since Pi Network opened its blockchain, the project is finally starting to show signs of activity and real development.

The launch of the Open Network in February was a major shift for Pi Network, which had been operating for years in a closed setting. Now, with external access enabled, verified developers, users, and businesses can connect to the Pi blockchain more freely, allowing new types of applications and use cases to emerge.

Since that launch, over 3 million people have joined Pi's Mainnet, bringing the total Mainnet users to over 13 million. The network has also seen over 7.4 billion Pi moved, including 5.2 billion Pi locked and 2.2 billion Pi unlocked for use.

Startup fund, game entry

To build its ecosystem, Pi Foundation has announced a $100 million initiative called Pi Network Ventures. This fund is held in Pi and US dollars, aimed at supporting startups that utilize the Pi blockchain in practical ways.

This fund has early focused on gaming, viewing it as a natural fit for social interaction and digital payments. A pilot project, FruityPi, has been deployed to test in-game payments, ad revenue, and wallet usage. The game links to other Pi tools such as Pi Wallet and Pi Ad Network.

Boosting peer-to-peer commerce

In mid-March, Pi held its first major commerce event since the network opened. Called PiFest, the campaign lasted a week and encouraged users to buy and sell using Pi across local markets.

According to internal Pi data, over 125,000 sellers have registered, with about 58,000 active participants. A community-built app, Map of Pi, has had over 1.8 million users during the event and more than 45,000 reviews submitted.

This effort is seen as a test case for how cryptocurrency can function in informal commerce or in areas without traditional payment systems.

Digital identity: .pi domain

Another area of initial attraction comes from Pi's private domain name system. Launched alongside PiFest, the .pi domain auction allows users to bid on personalized domain names within the Pi ecosystem.

By the end of the 100-day phase, the auction attracted over 123,000 bids from more than 57,000 unique users. In total, over 3 million Pi were used in the domain auctions. These .pi domains are intended for use as identifiers on applications and services in the Pi network.

Developer access and app exploration

Technically, Pi Network has made several updates to the Mainnet app interface. Developers who meet the deployment criteria can now list applications directly through the developer portal without waiting for manual approval.

Pi has provided its advertising network to more developers, allowing them to monetize the applications they create on the Pi platform. Along with this, the app interface has been improved to help users explore and find applications more easily. Some new applications have also been added during this time.

Security and Account Access

To help users manage their accounts more easily, Pi Network has introduced new recovery options and improved parts of the KYC process. Verified users can now update their phone numbers by completing an activity check.

Wallet transfers are now protected by two-factor authentication, switching from SMS to email for higher reliability and fewer regional restrictions.

The network has also fixed several bugs causing crashes in the KYC process and added support for users to verify through Yoti, making it easier for many to complete verification.

The Open Network phase of Pi Network is still in its early stages, but the past 100 days have shown a steady shift towards greater accessibility and widespread use. With the startup fund now operational and application tools ready, Pi may soon be evaluated on the level of actual usage that its ecosystem can attract and sustain.