Key Takeaways:
- Over 21,000 Apps Created: Since Pi App Studio’s launch in mid-2025, Pioneers have built more than 21,700 no-code apps on the Pi Network.
- 37.7M Pi Tokens Staked for App Promotion: Community-backed staking system boosts app visibility, with nearly 1,500 apps promoted through Ecosystem Directory Staking.
- Token Price Volatility Raises Doubts: Despite user growth, PI’s unstable price and lack of exchange data fuel skepticism over real-world utility.
The Pi Network is experiencing a dramatic increase in ecosystem activity, with thousands of decentralized apps (dApps) being developed by non-coders across its platform. But while development surges, investor confidence in the PI token remains shaky, as price fluctuations and limited liquidity continue to be pain points for the community and speculators alike.
Read More: Pi Network Teases Explosive Reveal at Consensus 2025; Is a Binance Listing Finally Coming?
A Rapid Rise in App Creation
Pi App Studio Sees Explosive Growth
Since its official launch on Pi2Day 2025, Pi App Studio has empowered the Pi community, known as Pioneers, to develop apps without writing code. According to the latest update on Pi Network’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, over 7,600 chatbot apps and 14,100 custom apps have been created, pushing the total over 21,700 apps.
These figures are noteworthy in the crypto space, especially considering that most were created through AI-assisted workflows. Projects like Pi-Tris (a puzzle game), Healthy Life (a chatbot offering wellness advice), and BLACKHOLE (an astronomy-focused assistant) demonstrate how accessible the platform is for non-developers.
The power of the platform is in its no-code base, which enables just about anyone to become a creator in the crypto space. This ethos mirrors the sentiment of the wider Web3 movement, which focuses on de-centralization, inclusiveness, and community-based tooling.
Read More: Pi Network Boosts Ecosystem with FruityPi Game Launch, Eyes Increased Utility
Community-Powered Discovery Through Staking
How Ecosystem Directory Staking Works
To boost app adoption, the Pi Network also created the Ecosystem Directory Staking, a system that allows users to stake their PI tokens to increase an app’s visibility in the directory. A total of over 37.7 million PI tokens were staked during the launch window, 25 million of which are still staked to this date.
This feature effectively turns community interest into real economic backing, where app visibility depends not on paid ads or ranking algorithms, but on how much the community values a project.
- Apps Supported: 1,450+
- Unique Stakers: Over 16,700 users
This approach mirrors mechanisms used in Web3 social platforms like Lens Protocol and Farcaster, where user actions follow, reactions, and stakings – hape what gets noticed.
The Web3 Playbook in Action
Pi’s community-staking strategy may help surface genuine innovations rather than shallow engagement tools. However, without app vetting, quality remains variable. Pi Network does not verify, endorse, or moderate the apps on its platform, placing the responsibility on users to self-assess content risks.
Token Under Pressure Despite Ecosystem Buzz
Price Volatility Persists
While app development has skyrocketed, the PI token’s price remains unstable. According to community-tracked data (since PI remains unlisted on major centralized exchanges), the token fell from above $0.47 on July 15 to a low of $0.435 by July 17, marking a sharp ~8% drop in just two days.
Although there were short-lived recoveries on July 18–19, PI has struggled to hold momentum. As of July 21, the price remained to be around the $0.45 mark with evidence that there was still further selling pressure and insufficient demand sustained.
This raises alarm especially since the token remains in closed mainnet. They are not listed in public exchanges and thus liquidity is limited; volatility is mainly speculative in nature.
Lack of Verified Exchange Data
The price of PI is relegated as user-supplied and without any trade data. Such opacity creates uncertainty as to how much the token would be worth in the actual market making market entry even worse.
In contrast, other tokens like Worldcoin (WLD) and CORE DAO (CORE) launched with direct listings and price visibility, gaining both developer traction and investor trust faster. This puts Pi Network at a disadvantage despite its growing ecosystem.
Market Sentiment Split on Real Utility
While community participation is strong, experts remain cautious about whether these apps generate meaningful utility or simply reflect activity inflation. Creating a chatbot or mini-game in minutes is impressive, but questions remain:
- Are these apps retaining users?
- Do they solve real problems?
- Is there any measurable economic impact?
Without concrete answers, some observers view Pi App Studio more as a growth-hacking mechanism than a genuine innovation layer.
Still, the project deserves credit for pioneering mass access to crypto tools. Few Layer 1 networks have successfully enabled tens of thousands of non-coders to create and launch apps. This kind of grassroots building is rare in the space, even if commercial utility is not yet clear.
Until then, Pi Network will likely remain a community-led, closed-loop ecosystem, dynamic and highly active, but challenging to evaluate from a financial standpoint.
That said, the model of building with and for the community, especially with such scale, may prove invaluable if the team executes a successful open mainnet transition.
