Pi Network has released its first update of 2026, introducing a new developer library that will simplify and accelerate the integration of Pi payments into applications.
The main development team's announcement this week of a Pi Network update will present a set of tools that will allow developers to add Pi payment functionality to their applications in under ten minutes.
Pi Network, launched as a cryptocurrency project primarily focused on mobile devices, has faced criticism for years over timelines, real-world use cases, and token economics. The latest update aims to address one of the main criticisms—developer inconvenience.
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Pi Network released an update to simplify payments for developers
According to the documentation published on G****b for this update, the Pi Software Development Kit with application programming interfaces will be merged into a single system with its library. This aims to reduce technical complexity and the time previously required for the network to integrate Pi payments into applications.
The Pi Network team states that developers can now spend more time building and improving products rather than dealing with infrastructure bottlenecks. Since the initial version of the library supports the development stacks used by most developers, the new version will be available for even more applications.
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On the frontend, developers can work with JavaScript or React, and on the backend, with Next.js and Ruby on Rails.
The Pi Network JavaScript SDK provides a fully typed modern ES module interface for the Pi Network protocol. It is designed for developers building applications using the Pi browser extension or the global Pi window API, and supports TypeScript and class-based controls.
Among the functions are connect(), which initiates authentication and connection, and createPayment(paymentData), which handles payments. The Pimatic callback protocol processes server callbacks, reducing the need for manual configuration.
The usePiConnection() hook manages Pi authentication and user connection, providing access to connection status and user data. This allows developers to enable or disable purchase actions based on user readiness. Another hook, usePiPurchase(paymentData), returns a purchase callback that triggers the full Pi payment process for specific transactions.
The child SDK named pi-sdk-js provides all types of protocol data, such as payment data and user objects. Developers not using React can directly use this low-level SDK to create their own implementations.
Additionally, Pi Network has released an integration guide for Next.js for modern Next.js projects using App Router or Pages Router. It helps developers create, configure, and integrate Pi payments, authentication, and user scenarios with minimal boilerplate code.
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Will PI return to its ATH?
After reaching an all-time high of $2.98, the asset's price sharply dropped to around $0.60 by June, and then further declined to $0.16. This drop has given skeptics confidence to criticize PI for failing to 'deliver' on its promise to become the next major sustainable development project.
In the first week of January, over 2.7 million PI tokens were withdrawn from exchanges, raising its relative strength index to approximately 49. Some market analysts hoped that if the price reaches $0.213, it could help the coin return to the $0.3 mark.
According to data from S******t, the social popularity of Pi Network has dropped to 0.004% due to low visibility in the crypto markets and declining interest from retail investors, which may indicate an overall decrease in demand for the token.
However, at the beginning of this workweek, nearly 18 million PI tokens were traded, marking the highest daily trading volume since mid-December. The current daily trading volume, as of this report, stands at $5.37 million, which is 98% lower than the peak values observed last year.
"Bears" are also waiting for the right moment to attack, as approximately 95 million PI tokens worth $19.8 million are expected to be released this month. Token releases into the market are part of a total annual volume of 1.24 billion PI tokens worth around $259 million.
Despite the supply already reaching 91.6% of the maximum level, further increases in supply could intensify selling pressure, especially considering how previous unlock events have triggered price declines.