Pi Network is attracting attention as it has been reported by multiple sources that it will participate as an official sponsor in “Consensus 2025” (May 14-16, 2025, held in Toronto), one of the world’s largest conferences on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, and that co-founder Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis will speak. This participation is a major step forward for the project and raises expectations for important announcements, such as the mainnet launch that the Pi community has been eagerly awaiting.

Consensus 2025 Official Page

https://consensus2025.coindesk.com/

You can confirm that Nicolas’s profile is on the speakers page.

What is the Consensus Conference? The World’s Largest Web3 Event

First, let’s deepen our understanding of the “Consensus Conference.” Founded in 2015 by major blockchain media outlet CoinDesk, this conference is considered one of the world’s most influential annual events in the fields of cryptocurrency, blockchain, and Web3. It serves as a venue where developers, investors, project founders, policymakers, and others gather to discuss the latest technology trends, investment opportunities, regulatory directions, and more.

The conference held in Toronto, Canada, from May 14 to 16, 2025, marks the 10th anniversary of Consensus. It is said that over 15,000 participants from more than 100 countries and over 500 prominent speakers gather each year, indicating its scale and influence. Many prominent figures in the industry have spoken in the past, making it an event truly referred to as the “Academy Awards” of the cryptocurrency and Web3 industry.

Pi Network’s Participation and Its Significance: Dr. Nicolas to Speak

This time, it is reported that Pi Network has been listed as an official sponsor for Consensus 2025, and it has been confirmed that Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis, a central figure in the project, will speak as a speaker. (Note: Although listed on the Consensus official website’s speaker list as of the time of writing (May 3, 2025), specific lecture details have not yet been announced).

Dr. Nicolas’s appearance holds extremely significant meaning for Pi Network. He is an expert who has researched blockchain and distributed systems at Stanford University and is the soul supporting Pi Network’s technical foundation and vision. His speaking on a global stage about Pi Network’s philosophy, technical progress, and the latest information regarding the mainnet opening that many users are eagerly awaiting will be an excellent opportunity to showcase the project’s credibility and future potential to the world.

What is Pi Network? – From Mobile Mining to Web3 Ecosystem

Let’s review Pi Network again here. Launched in 2019 by Stanford University graduates, this project’s biggest feature is the ease of “mining with a smartphone.” It has set its mission to make cryptocurrency accessible to everyone without requiring special expensive equipment.

As a result, it is said to have formed a user community of “Pioneers” on a scale of 60 million people worldwide. According to official announcements (December 2024), over 18 million people have completed identity verification (KYC), and over 8 million people have completed the migration to the mainnet. In terms of technology, it adopts a unique consensus mechanism based on the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), appealing to its high energy efficiency compared to Proof-of-Work (PoW) methods like Bitcoin, while maintaining security and decentralization.

Furthermore, Pi Network is not just a cryptocurrency; it aims to build an open ecosystem that supports various applications such as payments, social networking, gaming, and e-commerce in the future, with the goal of becoming a “passport to the Web3 world.”

Overcoming Skepticism: Pi Network’s Challenges and Growth

Pi Network’s journey has been far from smooth. In the early stages of the project, it was exposed to skeptical opinions such as “it’s just a smartphone app” or “it’s worthless points,” and harsh criticism like “isn’t it a scam?” The mechanism of being able to mine for free may have also created some distrust.

However, the Pi Network team has continued steady development, prepared for the migration from the testnet to the mainnet, and built a massive community. The sponsorship participation in Consensus 2025 and Dr. Nicolas’s appearance can be seen as evidence that these efforts have borne fruit, the project has gained a certain level of recognition, and it is demonstrating a solid presence in the cryptocurrency industry. It is believed that the result of responding to past doubts with actions and achievements has opened the way to such a global stage.

What to Expect at Consensus 2025?

With Pi Network participating in Consensus 2025 and Dr. Nicolas speaking, what kind of announcements and information disclosure can be expected? Several possibilities can be considered.

• Mainnet Open Timing: What the community is most focused on is the specific timeline for the general release of the mainnet (Open Mainnet). Pi Network has announced that it aims to start the open network in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, but it will be interesting to see if Dr. Nicolas makes an announcement at Consensus regarding a more detailed roadmap, progress, or a definitive date. If this is realized, the liquidity and usability of Pi could dramatically improve.
• Ecosystem Progress: Specific application examples of Pi in areas such as payments, e-commerce, social, or the metaverse, or demonstrations regarding applications under development (Pi Apps) may be held. If concrete use cases for Pi are shown, the project’s potential will become clearer.
• Web3 Strategy: What role Pi Network intends to play in the world of Web3, the decentralized internet. The vision and plans for making decentralized applications (dApps) easily accessible to general users may be discussed.
• Partnerships and Collaborations: The Consensus conference is an excellent opportunity for networking with other projects and investors. For example, new partnerships may be revealed, such as collaboration with oracle services like Chainlink or cooperation with major payment companies like PayPal, although the possibility is not zero.

The Power of Community: The Driving Force Behind Pi Network

The existence of a passionate community around the world is indispensable to the background of Pi Network’s growth to this day. Users who mine daily, node operators who contribute to network stability, and people who provide feedback on the project. The activities of each of these individuals are the driving force behind Pi Network.

Participation in Consensus 2025 is an achievement not only for the development team but also for all Pi supporters, and can be said to be one answer to their past contributions. As a decentralized project, the voice of the community has always been emphasized. This conference will also be an opportunity to show the world that Pi Network is not just a project, but a future being built by many people.

Expectations for Pi Network’s Next Chapter

Pi Network’s participation as an official sponsor in the Consensus 2025 Toronto conference and the appearance of Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis will be a groundbreaking event for the project. Through this global stage, Pi Network is expected to showcase its technology, ecosystem, and grand vision to the world.

Much anticipation is building regarding the mainnet release timing, concrete progress in the ecosystem, and its role in Web3. For long-time users and those who are just starting to take an interest in Pi Network, the developments at Consensus 2025 are likely to be unmissable.

Shift Towards Transparency and Expected Announcements

For many years, the Pi Network team has been seen as a “mysterious entity” due to its reserved stance. However, with the operation of the mainnet (or its preparation) and the maturation of the ecosystem, the team is gradually shifting towards increasing openness and transparency. This stance may become even clearer at Consensus 2025. Specifically, the following announcements are expected:

• Mainnet Governance Details: Such as voting mechanisms showing how the community can participate in network decision-making.
• Initial Results of Global Payment Pilots: The results of the Pi Coin payment function launched in cooperation with physical merchants in many countries and regions.
• Next Phase of Ecosystem Development: Expansion of ecosystem applications, deepening of developer incentives, plans for introducing cross-chain bridge technology, promotion of global payment compliance, etc.

These announcements will demonstrate that Pi Network is steadily evolving from a mere concept into a practical digital economic platform.

Possibility of Binance Listing: Community Expectations and Reality

One of the topics causing the most heated discussion within the Pi Network community is the possibility of a listing on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. This speculation is fueled by several factors.

Binance’s New Listing Policy and Past Community Votes

Binance recently reviewed its listing process and introduced mechanisms such as “Vote to List,” showing a stance of placing more importance on community opinions. Prior to this, in early 2025, a community vote regarding the listing of Pi Network was held on the Binance platform, and it was reported that the overwhelming result was that over 85% of voters supported the listing. From these movements, expectations are rising that “Pi Network’s Binance listing may be near.”

Feasibility of Listing: Still Unclear

However, as of the current time (May 3, 2025), there has been no official listing announcement from Binance. While the community’s enthusiastic support is a fact, the final listing decision depends on Binance’s own due diligence, risk assessment, market conditions, and other factors. Also, some information suggests that Binance’s “Vote to List” is limited to projects based on the BNB Chain, implying the possibility that Pi Network may not be eligible for this program. It can be said that the situation regarding Pi Network’s listing still has many uncertain elements.

Ecosystem Expansion and Real-World Use

The true value of Pi Network lies not just in mining but in its connection to real-world use. The project aims to make Pi Coin usable in real economic activities and has already started Pi Coin payment pilot programs with some independent e-commerce platforms and physical merchants in multiple regions. The convenience of easily making payments with a mobile app, from buying coffee to paying for daily necessities, brings benefits to both users and merchants. Furthermore, it provides an SDK (Software Development Kit) for developers, encouraging developers worldwide to build diverse applications on the Pi Network, which is expected to lead to further expansion of the ecosystem.

Summary: Will Pi Network Usher in a New Era of Cryptocurrency?

Based on its unique philosophy of easy smartphone mining and public consensus, Pi Network is trying to open up cryptocurrency to more people. Participation in Consensus 2025 and the founder’s speech could be a significant turning point for the project to move to the next stage. Speculation regarding a Binance listing remains fluid, but it indicates strong community expectations.

There are still many challenges that Pi Network must overcome, such as the transition to the open mainnet, completion of the KYC process, ecosystem expansion, and widespread real-world use. However, its unique approach and massive community hold the potential to bring new possibilities to the world of cryptocurrency. Whether Pi Network can truly realize a new era of digital economy “built and owned by the public” remains to be seen, and future developments will be worth watching closely.