What Is Pi Crypto Token? The Coin Lagging Altcoin Rally Amid Community Backlash Over Vague 2026 Roadmap

• Community criticism followed a governance update that lacked clear objectives for 2026.
• The Core Team highlighted progress in 2025 but did not outline measurable next steps.
• Several tokens with around the same market capitalization as the Pi Network, such as Ethena and Near Protocol, gained more than 7% each, while PI’s price edged 0.4% higher in the last 24 hours.

Pi Network’s (PI) token lagged in the crypto market rally on Thursday night amid community outcry over the core team's failure to lay out clear goals for the network going into 2026. 

While major altcoins posted solid gains, PI token’s price edged just 0.4% higher over the past 24 hours, continuing to struggle to hold above the $0.20 support level. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the altcoin remained in ‘neutral’ territory over the past day.

Governance Update Draws Community Pushback

The Pi Core Team recently published its 2025 recap, describing the past year as “defining” for the project following the Open Network and PI token launch in February. Pi Network’s mainnet launch was one of the most anticipated events in crypto, having been in development for nearly seven years. 

However, the outlook for 2026 stopped short of laying out specific milestones or measurable objectives. “The Pi community’s efforts this year enabled the launch of Open Network and the many apps, utilities, and features that will continue to be worked on,” the team said. “Pi Network in 2026 will be shaped by Pi’s long-term strategies and planning, in addition to Pioneers, developers, and partners building and using the ecosystem together.”

The absence of concrete targets quickly drew criticism from parts of the community, who argued that execution and accountability remain unclear. The Pi Network has over 4.2 million followers on X, surpassing networks like Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL).

One user wrote that “years of hype, delays, vague timelines, and zero accountability have destroyed market confidence,” adding that markets ultimately reward execution rather than vision. Others criticized the lack of specificity, with one user describing communication from the team as “painting in the air.”

What Is Pi Network And The PI Token?

Pi Network is a mobile-first blockchain project launched in 2019 that allows users, known as “Pioneers,” to mine PI tokens via a smartphone app. The project was designed to lower barriers to crypto participation by avoiding energy-intensive mining.

After several years of operating in a closed ecosystem, Pi launched its Open Network in 2025, enabling external wallet transfers and broader blockchain interactions. The PI token now trades on select platforms. Liquidity and exchange availability remain limited.

PI Token’s Price Trails Altcoin Rally

After a subdued end to the year, the altcoin market showed strength on Thursday night. Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple’s native token (XRP) each gained about 1.6%, while Solana (SOL) rose 2.6% and Cardano (ADA) jumped nearly 6%.

Several tokens with market capitalizations similar to the Pi Network's showcased even stronger gains. Ethena (ENA) climbed roughly 10%, Near Protocol (NEAR) gained close to 8%, and Aster (ASTER) rose 3.7%. 

Read also: Crypto Adoption Grows, So Do The Scams – And Bitcoin ATMs Are Ground Zero, Says FBI

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