Pi Network’s Protocol 23 Upgrade: A Major Leap Towards Decentralized Future

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Pi Network Advances Toward Protocol 23 as Most Mainnet Nodes Upgrade

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Pi Network’s Mainnet Node operators have largely completed the Protocol 23 upgrade, a complex technical transition.
The upgrade involves multiple system changes, including an Ubuntu OS upgrade and a PostgreSQL database migration.
Protocol 23 is expected to enhance node performance, network reliability, and support for future decentralized applications.

Pi Network reports that the majority of its Mainnet Node operators have finished upgrading to Protocol 23. This upgrade is a major step forward for the network, marking significant progress in one of its biggest technical updates yet.

On May 20th, the Pi Core Team expressed gratitude to those running Pi nodes for successfully completing the recent upgrade. They noted it was a particularly difficult process, one of the most challenging in the project’s history, because it involved significant changes to the system’s core components and required a complete overhaul of internal data.

This update involves several key changes: we’re moving to a newer network protocol (version 23), upgrading the operating system to Ubuntu 24, and updating the database to PostgreSQL 16. The team expects the entire network to be running on the new protocol once all systems have finished updating.

As a crypto investor, I’m really impressed with the Mainnet Node operators for successfully upgrading to version 23. It looks like the vast majority have completed the update, which means we should be moving to v23 on the protocol very soon. From what I understand, this was a particularly complex upgrade – involving a lot of changes and improvements under the hood. It’s great to see everything progressing smoothly!

— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) May 20, 2026

Upgrade follows earlier Protocol 23 deadline

This update comes after Pi Network previously said node operators needed to update to Protocol 23 by May 15th.

The Pi Core Team explained that the upgrade was needed to get the network ready for features like smart contracts, handle more users efficiently, and better integrate with the wider Web3 world as the main network grows.

The team had previously explained that Protocol 23 was a key improvement designed to make the network run better, more reliably, and to allow for more advanced apps in the future.

Expanding AI-powered KYC system

Earlier this month, Pi Network detailed how its AI-powered system for verifying identities is helping more users join the mainnet.

The network is adding extra security checks to protect users, ensure fair access, and verify that real people are using the platform. This comes as the number of users who have switched over recently exceeded 16.7 million.

The company’s new AI system helps spot fake accounts and makes it faster and easier for real users to sign up for the network.

Community reactions

Reactions across the Pi community and broader crypto discussions on X were mixed.

Some people were excited about the technical improvements and saw the move as a positive step for the project’s growth. However, others wondered why it was taking so long and why more people weren’t actually using it, even after all this time.

Many users wondered if the update might affect how Pi is traded or how the Pi network grows after the full migration is finished.

This recent update to Pi Network is part of ongoing efforts to improve the system’s underlying technology. Like many blockchain projects, Pi is concentrating on making the network faster, more dependable, and more efficient with data.

The network is being upgraded across multiple core areas – its basic rules, operating system, and data storage – which indicates it’s getting ready to handle more activity and offer new features in the future.

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2026-05-20 09:08