Pi Network price outlook as it positions itself against Worldcoin and Humanity Protocol
Pi Network’s native token spent the weekend under renewed selling pressure, despite the project’s leadership unveiling an ambitious roadmap designed to push the ecosystem into direct competition with digital identity players such as Worldcoin and Humanity Protocol.
On Sunday, Pi Coin (PI) was changing hands around $0.1677, slightly below this month’s peak near $0.2050 but still roughly 35% higher than its 2024 low. The recovery from the bottom has not been enough to ignite a full trend reversal, and traders remain cautious as the project attempts to redefine its narrative around decentralized identity and developer tooling.
New priorities after mainnet anniversary
Marking the first anniversary of Pi Network’s mainnet, founders Nicolas Kokkalis and Chengdiao Fan outlined a fresh set of priorities meant to transition the project from a mining-focused mobile app to a fully functional ecosystem.
The updated roadmap centers on three pillars:
– Native token generation tools – allowing creators and projects to launch their own tokens directly on Pi Network.
– A decentralized exchange (DEX) – to provide on-chain liquidity and enable trading of Pi-based assets.
– Expanded developer tools – to lower the barrier for building decentralized applications (dApps) within the Pi ecosystem.
The broader vision is to morph Pi Network into an application platform where developers can deploy consumer-facing products and issue dedicated tokens, turning the large existing user base into an active crypto economy rather than a passive mining community.
KYC acceleration and AI-powered verification
A central element of this strategy is a faster and more scalable Know Your Customer (KYC) system. The team recently introduced an AI-driven upgrade to its verification pipeline, which they say has significantly increased the number of successfully verified users.
This AI layer is designed to streamline document checks, reduce manual review bottlenecks, and improve fraud detection. By automating large parts of the process, Pi Network aims to move millions of users from unverified status into a fully compliant, on-chain identity framework-an essential step for enabling withdrawals, trading, and broader ecosystem participation.
From internal KYC to KYC-as-a-Service
Building on that KYC experience, the project’s next big move is to transform its internal verification infrastructure into a commercial product: KYC-as-a-Service.
The idea is straightforward: companies that need user verification, proof-of-personhood, or compliance screening could integrate Pi’s KYC stack into their own applications. In theory, this could open a new revenue line for the project and create external demand for its technology, giving Pi Network a role far beyond its own token economy.
If executed well, this transition would reposition Pi from being just another consumer crypto project to becoming a service provider in the digital identity and compliance space, where demand is growing rapidly due to regulatory pressure and the rise of digital-native financial products.
Direct competition with Worldcoin and Humanity Protocol
This new KYC-as-a-Service approach brings Pi Network into direct competition with two of the most talked-about identity-focused crypto projects:
– Worldcoin (WORLD) – Co-founded by Sam Altman, Worldcoin is building a global identity layer using World ID and its World App. Its controversial hardware device, the “orb,” scans users’ irises to create a unique identifier and aims to prove personhood without revealing sensitive personal data. The project has already onboarded millions of users worldwide.
– Humanity Protocol – This project addresses digital identity using a different biometric approach: palm recognition. It relies on a proof-of-humanity mechanism and translates biometric features into cryptographic hashes using zero-knowledge proofs, seeking to ensure privacy while confirming that each identity corresponds to a single human.
Pi Network’s proposition is somewhat different. Rather than centering on specialized biometric hardware, it leans on mobile-first KYC processes and AI-enhanced verification. If it can show that this approach is cheaper, more accessible, and sufficiently secure, it could attract partners that find bespoke biometric hardware either too controversial or too capital intensive.
Market remains unconvinced… for now
Despite the bold plans, the market reaction has been muted. Pi’s price remains under pressure, and traders appear more focused on unresolved structural issues than on long-term narratives.
Several key points were notably absent from the anniversary announcement:
– Tokenomics clarity – The team did not give detailed guidance on future token unlock schedules, emissions, or supply management. Without clear rules on how new tokens enter circulation, investors struggle to model potential dilution.
– Potential token burns or supply caps – The absence of any firm commitment to burning or tightening supply leaves questions about how scarcity will be created or maintained.
– Exchange listing strategy – There was no explicit plan for expanding listings on major centralized exchanges, a factor that heavily influences liquidity, price discovery, and investor access.
These missing elements have likely contributed to the ongoing weakness in price, as traders often place a premium on projects with transparent economic design and a clear path to liquidity.
Technical picture: pressure below key levels
On the daily chart, PI has slipped back from its monthly high around $0.2050 to about $0.1677, carving out a short-term downtrend. Price action currently sits below all major moving averages, typically a bearish signal that indicates sellers maintain control.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI), a momentum indicator, has rolled over and dropped below the neutral 50 line, confirming waning bullish momentum. Momentum breakdowns like this often precede extended consolidation phases or further declines, especially when not accompanied by strong fundamental catalysts.
From a technical standpoint, traders are now watching a few critical levels:
– $0.1500 – A key psychological and horizontal support zone. If buyers fail to defend this area, it would signal that the market has little confidence in the near-term bullish narrative.
– $0.1300 – A deeper support level that could come into play if $0.1500 breaks decisively. A move toward this zone would indicate a more pronounced reset of bullish expectations.
Unless new information alters sentiment-such as major partnerships, exchange listings, or detailed tokenomics revisions-the path of least resistance currently leans toward further downside or sideways trading.
How Pi Network’s identity angle could affect long-term value
If Pi Network succeeds in transforming its KYC infrastructure into a widely used service, that could eventually influence the token’s valuation in several ways:
1. Increased on-chain activity – More verified users and external partners using its KYC tools could lead to higher transaction volumes and demand for network resources.
2. Potential fee mechanisms – If KYC-as-a-Service and dApp usage involve fees or staking denominated in PI, that could create recurring demand for the token.
3. Network effects – A robust identity layer is often a core building block for financial applications, gaming, and social platforms. Strong identity primitives can encourage developers to choose one chain over another.
However, all of this is contingent on actual implementation, clear economic design linking real usage to token value, and effective communication to the market.
Where Pi differs from other identity-focused projects
Compared with Worldcoin and Humanity Protocol, Pi’s main strength lies in its existing user base and mobile-first orientation. Millions of people have already interacted with the app, even if many remain unverified or inactive. This gives Pi a large, latent audience that could be reactivated if compelling applications and financial incentives emerge.
Additionally, Pi’s avoidance of specialized hardware might make it more agile in regions where regulatory scrutiny or public skepticism around biometric devices is high. An AI-enhanced, document-based KYC system can potentially be rolled out faster and with fewer physical constraints than hardware-dependent models.
On the other hand, Pi still needs to prove that its verification is as resistant to sybil attacks and identity fraud as biometric-focused solutions. If it cannot match or exceed the security guarantees of biometric proof-of-personhood, large institutional or high-stakes financial use cases might favor competitors.
Key risks for investors and participants
For traders and early adopters watching Pi’s price action, several risk factors stand out:
– Uncertain regulatory climate for KYC and biometric data across different jurisdictions, which could affect service adoption.
– Execution risk around delivering a performant DEX, robust developer tools, and reliable KYC services at scale.
– Competition pressure from better-funded or more aggressively marketed identity projects.
– Token supply overhang if unlocks continue without counterbalancing demand mechanisms or burns.
– Limited liquidity and exchange access, which can amplify volatility and make it harder for large investors to enter or exit positions.
Understanding these risks is essential for anyone trying to interpret short-term price moves or build a long-term thesis.
What would need to change for a bullish reversal?
For sentiment around Pi Coin to turn decisively positive, the market will likely look for a combination of the following:
– Transparent, updated tokenomics with predictable emissions and a credible path to scarcity.
– Concrete progress on the DEX and developer tools, accompanied by the launch of real, usable applications.
– Evidence that the new AI KYC system can scale globally without major security or compliance issues.
– Initial customers or partners for KYC-as-a-Service, demonstrating external demand for Pi’s identity technology.
– Broader exchange listings that improve liquidity and attract more sophisticated traders.
Without these tangible milestones, announcements alone may not be enough to sustain a lasting rally.
Outlook
Pi Network is trying to reinvent itself at a pivotal moment for digital identity in crypto. Its AI-driven KYC system and KYC-as-a-Service ambitions put it into the same conversation as Worldcoin and Humanity Protocol, but the market is still waiting for proof that the project can translate its ideas into adoption and tokenholder value.
In the near term, technical signals point to continued caution, with downside risk toward $0.1500 and potentially $0.1300 if selling continues. Over a longer horizon, Pi’s fate will depend on whether it can convert its large user base, new identity tools, and developer roadmap into a functioning ecosystem that justifies a stronger, more sustainable valuation.