Pi Network 2026: Pi Network Finally Moves — The 23-Day Deadline Tired Pioneers Needed

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Hello everyone. Welcome back to Crypto News Now. Today is May 16th, 2026. And if you are a Pi Network node operator, the upgrade window is not coming. It is open right now.

[00:00:13]>> [music] >> The protocol 23 deadline was extended from May 15th to May 19th. Three days left. And while that extension sounds like breathing [music] room, what actually happened this week is much bigger. Protocol V24 dropped as a surprise while V23 is still mid-migration. Pi app studio received a major AI upgrade announced yesterday.

[00:00:35]And PI is at 15.9 cents today, down nearly 6% in 24 hours, raising a very uncomfortable question.

[00:00:43]Is all this technical [music] progress going to move the needle or is supply pressure still the ceiling? We are covering that in full.

[00:00:50]>> [music] >> Plus, Ethereum's Glamsedam upgrade is in development while ETH underperforms BTC.

[00:00:56]XRP ETFs just hit their strongest single day in full since January while XRP holds a port at $1.43. [music] And the XRPL Foundation brought an original ledger architect back into a formal advisory role.

[00:01:10]>> [music] >> Every figure updated as of today. Let's go. If you are new here, hit subscribe and turn on the bell. Pi Network news is moving faster than ever and you cannot afford to catch a day late. Drop a like if [music] this is already giving you value. And quick one before we start.

[00:01:27]Have you completed your protocol 23 node upgrade yet? [music] Drop yes or no in the comments right now. I want to see how ready this community is. Now, let's get into it. Pi Network, the upgrade window is open. Three days left.

[00:01:42]>> [music] >> The original protocol 23 deadline was May 15th. Yesterday, the Pi core team extended it to May 19th to allow node operators enough time [music] to complete a full database migration, not a routine patch. Protocol 23, [music] built on Stellar Core 23, involves a complete internal rewrite of how Pi mainnet stores >> [music] >> and processes data at its foundational layer. First startup after the upgrade takes longer than usual. Some nodes may require full resynchronization. The team has been explicit.

[00:02:16]>> [music] >> Do not wait until night of May 18th to start. Why does this matter so much?

[00:02:21]Because Protocol 23 activates native smart contract functionality [music] on Pi mainnet for the very first time.

[00:02:28]Before this, Pi was a blockchain where tokens moved between wallets. After this, Pi becomes a programmable platform where developers can build decentralized applications, automate payments, create trustless escrow, [music] and launch services that interact directly with the network. That is the infrastructure [music] shift the community has been waiting years for.

[00:02:49]And then, before V23 was fully digested, the core team released Protocol V24 as a [music] surprise. V25 is already scheduled for June 8th. The pace. V21 in early April, V22 on April 22nd, V23 rolling now, >> [music] >> V24 live, V25 in 3 weeks. Pi is not coasting. The back end is being rebuilt fast. The Pi app studio update announced on [music] May 15th adds another layer.

[00:03:20]Developers can now convert apps built with external AI coding tools directly into native Pi [music] applications in as little as 2 minutes. With over 60 million engaged pioneers and 18.1 million KYC verified users, [music] Pi is a distribution network most Web3 projects spend years trying to build.

[00:03:39]The app studio update is designed to turn that reach [music] into a developer magnet. Here is where it gets uncomfortable. Pi is at 15.9 cents today, [music] down nearly 6% in 24 hours and 7.7% over 7 [music] days. The main headwind is supply. Nearly 540 million PI tokens are sitting on exchanges. Around 184.5 million PI tokens [music] unlock throughout May.

[00:04:07]The largest monthly release until October 2027. That is heavy sell pressure arriving at exactly the moment the network [music] is trying to prove itself technically. For price to recover, analysts are watching two catalysts. Successful smart contract deployment following V23 and the PI DX launch plan for mid-2026.

[00:04:28]If the DX creates genuine demand for PI as a settlement token, it changes equation in a way protocol upgrades [music] alone cannot. Technically, PI needs to reclaim $0.177 >> [music] >> to $0.194 to establish constructive short-term trend. Node operators, >> [music] >> the window is open. Do not miss May 19th. Ethereum and XRP, two different kinds of waiting. Ethereum's next major [music] upgrade is Glamsterdam targeting the first half of 2026 following Pectra May 2025 and Fusaka in December 2025. Glamsterdam is expected to parallelize transaction processing and extend layer two scaling further.

[00:05:11]But ETH is around $2,350 today, well below its 2025 high. And the ETH BTC ratio >> [music] >> is not sending a bullish signal. US spot ETH ETFs broke a 6-month outflow streak in April [music] with $356 million in new inflows. And BlackRock launched a staking-enabled ETH ETF in [music] March. The institutional story is constructive. Price still needs visible on-chain demand growth.

[00:05:39]>> [music] >> And Glamsterdam is a catalyst to watch.

[00:05:42]XRP is at $1.43 today, down 3.6%, but the broader signal is less about short-term price action and more about positioning underneath the surface.

[00:05:53]>> [music] >> On May 11th, US spot XRP ETFs recorded 25.8 million dollars in single day inflows, the strongest since January 5th, bringing cumulative inflows to 1.32 billion dollars since launch, which shows that despite day-to-day volatility, [music] capital is still steadily rotating into regulated XRP exposure even during market pullbacks. [music] And that kind of consistent inflow pattern is what eventually separates temporary price movements from sustained trend shifts.

[00:06:23]Seven spot XRP ETFs are now trading in the US with over 880 million XRP locked in custody. That inflow arrived while ETH was declining and BTC was flat.

[00:06:34]Institutional [music] capital moving into an asset during negative conditions is conviction, not momentum chasing. The challenge is that exchange level selling is absorbing the buying. XRP needs to close above $1.44 [music] to signal resumption toward the $1.70 to 80 zone with the clarity act in the timeline >> [music] >> as the primary catalyst. And the XRPL Foundation's appointment of original ledger architect David Schwartz as honorary [music] board member signals technical continuity, but the market wants concrete milestones, not just credible names on the masthead. Final take, Saturday, May 16th. [music] The pie upgrade window is live and counting. Ethereum is building toward Glamsterdam while price waits for the market [music] to catch up. XRP institutions are accumulating quietly while the spot price waits [music] for a legislative signal. None of these stories are finished. The investors who can separate the building phase from the noise will be positioned >> [music] >> when the next chapters open. Now I want to hear from you. Two questions and I am reading every comment. First, protocol 23 is live.

[00:07:42]>> [music] >> The 24 drop is a surprise. Pi app studio got an AI upgrade.

[00:07:47]>> [music] >> V25 is weeks away. Do you believe this upgrade cycle breaks PI above 20 cents and hold it? Or does token unlock pressure still win short-term? Confident or skeptical? [music] Drop it right now. Second, where in the world are you pioneering from?

[00:08:03]>> [music] >> Drop your country below. Hit the like button.

[00:08:06]Share this with one person who needs to know what has happened with PI right now.

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[00:08:13]This channel covers every major development before it reaches the mainstream. This is [music] Crypto News Now. See you in the next video. Take care.