Pi Network anti-speculation! Use Pi coin to buy things and enter a lottery, merchants gain free exposure opportunities.

Pi Network has launched a global holiday business initiative, with the core team abandoning price speculation and prioritizing business activities. Users can shop through Pi-powered applications or transact with verified local merchants and share their experiences (photos or videos) at the PiFest Fireside forum, with each valid post automatically receiving a chance to enter a lottery. Developers and merchants can promote discounts directly on the forum, gaining exposure opportunities for free.

Pragmatic Route of Anti-Speculation for Pi Network

(Source: Pi Network Official Website)

The Pi Network clearly communicated a strategic shift towards “anti-speculation, emphasis on practicality” through this holiday business event. The core team announced the organization of holiday business activities centered around ecosystem applications and local Pi merchants. Pi has abandoned price speculation and prioritized business activities. This event encourages Pi users to actively use Pi for daily transactions. This statement stands in stark contrast to the mainstream logic in the crypto space of “price dominance.”

This shift is no coincidence, but a response to the current predicament. The Pi price plummeted 93% from $0.93 to $0.20, and the community's expectations of “when will it surge” have turned into questions of “when will it be useful.” User Pi Update criticized the token, stating that “the hype far exceeds the execution,” and holders are still waiting for a clear token economic model, real liquidity, and application scenarios beyond the native ecosystem. This holiday event is a direct response to such criticism.

Pi rewards actual usage rather than passive holding. This design philosophy subverts the “holding coins equals mining” logic of most crypto projects. In the Pi system, you must genuinely use Pi for shopping, transact with merchants, and share experiences on forums to gain chances for a lottery. This “usage equals reward” mechanism aims to transform Pi from a speculative asset into actual currency.

Three Innovative Designs of Pi Network Holiday Activities

Use for Instant Lottery: After using Pi to purchase items or transact with merchants and sharing your experience, each valid post earns you a chance to win the lottery, encouraging actual use.

Free Exposure for Merchants: Developers and merchants can promote discounts directly on the Fireside Forum, gaining community exposure at no cost.

Global Logistics Coverage: Deliveries to over 220 countries, with 100 winners receiving Pi brand T-shirts and hats, strengthening global community cohesion.

This design of global participation further strengthens Pi's image as a borderless, human-centered network. Pi has designed this activity for global participation, with third-party logistics providers delivering prizes to over 220 countries. This coverage is extremely rare in crypto projects, demonstrating the Pi team's investment in infrastructure development.

The ecological sprouting of active applications like Mobix

This measure also benefits builders and sellers. Developers and merchants can directly promote discounts and special offers on the Fireside Forum. Each promotion has both marketing and interactive functions, creating a positive cycle: business exposure increases user engagement, while user engagement promotes the development of the ecosystem.

The community responses have showcased active applications such as Mobix and other local services. Mobix is a mobile earning app based on Pi, where users earn rewards by walking, biking, or driving. This “Move-to-Earn” model became popular in 2022 due to STEPN, but most projects collapsed due to unsustainable token economics. Mobix chooses to operate within the Pi ecosystem, trying to leverage Pi's large user base to extend its lifecycle.

However, the actual usage of these applications remains an unknown. Pi Network has been emphasizing that there are hundreds of applications and thousands of merchants within its ecosystem, but has never disclosed specific data on transaction volumes, active user numbers, or merchant revenue. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for outsiders to assess the true health of the ecosystem. Are there really people using it? Or is it just a false demand for “completing tasks”?

This event highlights Pi's long-term strategy. The network is committed to creating sustainable practical value rather than pursuing short-term speculation. This positioning is commendable in principle, but the execution results still need time to verify. If there is indeed a significant increase in Pi's daily usage after the holiday event, it will demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy. If it is merely a short-term excitement during the event, and everything returns to silence after the event ends, it indicates that the incentive mechanism is still insufficient to change user behavior.

The prudent balance between legal compliance and third-party risks

Pi includes a clear disclaimer throughout the entire promotional campaign. The team emphasizes legal compliance, third-party risks, and content usage rights. Pi reserves the right to use shared content for promotional purposes. This transparency reflects the cautious approach Pi takes in expanding its business activities before the mainnet launch.

The emphasis on legal compliance is extremely crucial. In most countries, holding a lottery involves gambling regulations, requiring specific permissions or meeting certain conditions. Pi mitigates this risk through “participation without purchase required” (users can participate by shopping with Pi, but Pi can be obtained for free through mining). The disclosure of third-party risks is also important; Pi clearly states that logistics are handled by third-party vendors, and Pi does not assume responsibility for any delays or losses.

The retention of content usage rights demonstrates Pi's marketing ambitions. User-generated shopping experiences (photos, short videos) shared on the Fireside Forum allow Pi to retain promotional rights. This means that this user-generated content (UGC) may appear in Pi's official promotional materials, social media, and even advertisements. This is a low-cost but effective marketing strategy that exchanges prizes for a large number of authentic usage scenario displays.

Behind this cautious attitude is the reality that Pi has not yet fully launched its mainnet. Although Pi claims to have entered the mainnet phase, token transfers are still restricted, mainstream exchanges have not listed it on a large scale, and many core functions are still on the testnet. Promoting business activities in this “semi-mainnet” state requires extra caution regarding legal and operational risks.

The community replies have showcased active applications such as Mobix and other local services. These examples indicate that Pi positions itself as a medium of exchange rather than a speculative asset. However, external recognition of this positioning remains limited. When Pi attempts to establish commercial applications within the closed ecosystem, it faces the dilemma of “which came first, the chicken or the egg”: without users, there are no merchants willing to accept it, and without merchants accepting it, there are no users willing to hold it.

This holiday event aims to break this dilemma. By incentivizing users through a lottery and attracting merchants to participate with free exposure, Pi attempts to activate both supply and demand sides simultaneously. This bilateral incentive strategy is theoretically feasible, but the actual effectiveness depends on execution details. If the products and services offered by participating merchants are indeed attractive, the user experience of shopping with Pi is truly smooth, and the lottery prizes are delivered on time, this positive cycle may really be established.

However, if the merchants' participation is low, the product selection is limited, the payment process is cumbersome, and the distribution of prizes is delayed, this event may become yet another “much sound but little rain” public relations show. Pi Network has announced significant updates multiple times in the past, but the actual impact has been limited, causing the community's confidence in such events to waver. Whether this holiday event can truly promote practical applications will still need to be verified with data after the event concludes.

For Pi holders, this event is a good opportunity to observe the project's execution capability. If during the event, there is a significant increase in Pi's on-chain transaction volume, active address count, and merchant participation, it will validate the team's execution ability. If the data is mediocre, the long-term prospects of Pi will need to be reassessed. Against the backdrop of a price plummeting 93% from $0.93 to $0.20, the establishment of practical scenarios has become Pi's last hope for survival.