Pi Network Mainnet Upgrade Countdown: Stellar X-Ray Launch on January 22, Governance Voting Begins Simultaneously

On January 15, it was announced that after entering 2026, Pi Network has significantly accelerated its transition towards a “usable blockchain.” Recently, the official launched a new developer toolkit and confirmed a key mainnet governance vote scheduled for January 22. Simultaneously, the network welcomed the launch of the Stellar X-Ray Protocol 25 mainnet node, which aligns closely with Pi Network’s philosophy. These series of actions send a clear signal: Pi Network is shifting its focus from a single mining narrative to payment implementation, application ecosystems, and community governance.

On the technical front, Pi Network released its first major update for 2026—the new SDK developer library. This tool integrates the Pi SDK with backend APIs, greatly lowering the access barrier. According to community feedback, developers can integrate Pi payment functions in as little as 10 minutes. This means Pi is no longer just a “hold-only asset,” but can be directly used as a payment medium for applications, games, and digital services. For Pi Network, this is an important step toward building a real digital economy and also helps promote the rapid expansion of Pi payment scenarios.

In governance, a milestone event is also approaching. On January 22, Pi Network will hold a mainnet governance vote, with over 15.8 million mainnet users who have completed KYC eligible to participate in the decision-making process, determining the network’s next major upgrade direction. This decision-making mechanism, involving direct community participation, is seen as a key signal of Pi moving toward full decentralized governance, further strengthening users’ voice within the ecosystem.

It is worth noting that on the same day, Stellar’s mainnet will launch X-Ray (Protocol 25). Stellar is an important public chain that inspired Pi’s consensus model. This upgrade introduces the BN254 zero-knowledge proof system and Poseidon privacy hashing mechanism, providing infrastructure for applications that balance compliance and privacy. Although Pi Network does not operate directly on Stellar, both share a high degree of alignment in their technological vision of “high efficiency, low cost, and privacy-first,” which has sparked widespread discussion within the Pi community.

Overall, the new SDK tools, upcoming mainnet vote, and the synchronized maturity of privacy technology ecosystems outline Pi Network’s development path for 2026. In the short term, Pi’s price may still fluctuate with market volatility, but from a long-term perspective, Pi Network is laying a foundation for growth driven by technology implementation and community governance.