$Pi Network Faces Centralization Power as Vietnam Dominates Its Node Activity
The Pi Network was built to be a global, decentralized project that gives power back to the people. But right now, it’s facing a serious challenge, too much of its network is controlled by one country. At the heart of the issue is Vietnam, which now hosts nearly half of all Pi Network nodes, raising flags about the fairness and long-term resilience of the project.
Vietnam Hosts Nearly Half of Pi’s Nodes
According to recent data, Vietnam controls 154 out of 319 global Pi nodes, making up over 48% of the network. Even more, 33 of the 76 currently active nodes are in the country.
Strict Crypto Laws in Vietnam
Adding to the complexity, Vietnam’s legal stance on cryptocurrencies like Pi Coin is far from friendly. The country’s laws don’t recognize Pi as a legal payment option.
In fact, authorities have made it clear that using Pi for transactions could lead to a fine of 50 million VND to 100 million VND (about $2,000 to $4,000) or even face criminal charges.
Centralization Goes Beyond Geography
The concerns don’t stop with location. According to Piscan, over 60.7 billion Pi Coins (out of 100 billion) are held by the Pi Foundation’s wallets. That’s more than 60% of all the tokens in the hands of the core team.
The Community Is Getting Worried
Some users are already speaking up. One Reddit user wrote, “So long as the team holds some coins, it will never be decentralized.”
Others have warned about possible insider selling and scam tokens copying Pi’s name to steal data or money.
On March 2, Hanoi City police warned people about risky hype around Pi, especially after it started getting attention on exchanges. Officials said the network is being promoted with “unrealistic promises” and that many people don’t understand the real risks.
If Pi truly wants to be a people-powered network, it must take urgent steps to reduce control from one region and one team.