📢 Pi Network – Backend Update Completed

Pi Network has finalized a minor backend upgrade to improve service stability. The update enhances request handling and reduces occasional delays reported by users. Monitoring for performance results is now active.

AI Upgrades to Pi KYC Accelerate KYC Processing, Unblocking Mainnet Migration

Pi’s Standard KYC, which enables Pioneers’ migration to Mainnet, has integrated additional AI in the validation process, using the same underlying technology of Pi Fast Track KYC.

Learn more https://minepi.com/blog/kyc-ai-integration/

Update on KYC validator rewards: The work on distributing rewards for validator contributions has been ongoing and is making progress. It is targeted for deployment by the end of Q1 2026.

The first validator rewards distribution requires a significant amount of work to assess and analyze the immense volume of KYC validation task data accumulated since 2021.

Learn more https://minepi.com/blog/kyc-ai-integration/

Pi is thrilled to announce the winners of Pi Hackathon 2025—the first hackathon after Open Network launch!

Winning apps created meaningful use cases that promote the engagement, accessibility, and utility of Pi. With over 215 Mainnet app submissions, Pi Hackathon 2025 demonstrated developers’ clear motivation to build utility-oriented, production-ready apps on the Pi Mainnet.

Read the announcement to see the top three winners and five honorable mentions.
https://minepi.com/blog/hackathon-2025-winners/

Congratulations to Blind_Lounge, the first place winner of Pi Hackathon 2025! Blind_Lounge is a privacy-first social and dating platform where people connect anonymously and reveal identities only by mutual choice.

https://youtube.com/shorts/-v8JNH86N-U

Blind_Lounge stood out for its unique approach to social networking within the Pi ecosystem. By leading with anonymity and giving users the option to reveal identities later, it offers a distinct interaction model that increases safety and lowers the friction of meeting new people. With features like requiring all users to be KYC-verified, the app demonstrates a good use case of Pi’s large identity-verified network to solve real-world problems.

Check it out here https://blindlounge4830.pinet.com/

“On large platforms such as Instagram or YouTube, people often suffer from false information and fake accounts. Blind Lounge, where only KYC-verified users can participate, provides Pioneers with a trustworthy space for real connections. Beyond simple online interactions, it can become a meaningful meeting place that strengthens the cohesion and foundation of the Pi community.”
– Blind_Lounge team

The third place winner of Pi Hackathon 2025 is RUN FOR PI, a fast-paced runner game that incorporates Pi directly into its in-game economy.
https://youtube.com/shorts/a1XagHWl8bM?feature=share

RUN FOR PI stood out for demonstrating a clear, practical use of Pi within the game’s core economy, aligning with Pi’s emphasis on the gaming vertical. RUN FOR PI’s strength comes from using Pi in ways that feel purposeful—tying advancement, competitive elements, and replay incentives to Pi-based actions—and from tapping into the Pi community for user acquisition while providing entertainment utility for Pioneers.

Check it out here
https://runpi2258.pinet.com/

“My gaming app aims to make a meaningful difference for Pioneers by providing real-world utility for the Pi cryptocurrency within fun, interactive environments via social dynamics such as competitive leaderboard, offering hours of daily user engagement, and collecting and spending on game items. Ultimately, the goal is to create a positive feedback loop where games drive utility, utility drives engagement, and engagement strengthens the entire Pi’s ecosystem.”
– RUN FOR PI team