Why has the latest move by the Pi Core Team been criticized as "off-strategy"?

Pi Network is entering a crucial phase in its ecosystem development strategy by deciding to extend the domain auction period for “.pi” until September 30, 2025. According to the Pi Core Team, this move is not only aimed at allowing the community and developers to optimize innovative ideas, but also opens up opportunities to leverage important upgrades from Stellar Core – the infrastructure platform of Pi.

Extend time to leverage the power of Stellar Core

In the announcement made at the Pi2Day 2025 event (28/6), the Pi Core Team stated that the auction for the domain name “.pi” will be extended by 3 months.

Explaining this move, analyst Dr. Altcoin commented:

"The extension may be related to Stellar Protocol 23, which is scheduled for voting on September 3, 2025. Since Pi is built on Stellar-core, this upgrade – with smart contracts, higher transaction speeds, and Web3 compatibility – will directly impact the Pi blockchain."

In other words, the additional time allows Pi Network to leverage the improvements of Stellar, thereby expanding the capability to develop decentralized applications, accelerating transaction processing, and enhancing the Web3 experience for users.

The goal of the extension phase is not only technical. Pi Network hopes to facilitate developers and businesses to engage more deeply in the ecosystem.

Users can bid for .pi domain names using Pi Coin, setting up a branded online space for their application, store, or personal project.

New investment criticized

OpenMind – a startup in Silicon Valley specializing in developing operating systems for humanoid robots – has just announced a new funding round. Notably, the Pi Core Team has joined in the investment alongside major funds such as Pantera and Blackdragon.

A section of Pioneers sees this as a strategic step, helping Pi expand its influence in the high-tech field and establish long-term partnerships.

Others expressed concerns about the relevance of this investment to the main goal: expanding utility and driving the value of the Pi coin.

Pinetwork Members account on X candidly criticizes:

"The two leaders of Pi are using the project's funds to pursue personal interests instead of focusing on developing the application and increasing the value of Pi."

At the beginning of this year, Pi Network Ventures – a fund worth 100 million USD – was launched to support projects built on Pi. This fund focuses on 3 main objectives:

In addition, the Pi Core Team is also investing heavily in AI, with the launch of Pi App Studio – a platform that allows users to create applications, games, or chatbots by entering simple prompts, without the need for programming skills.

The gap between expectations and reality

Although the above actions reflect Pi's long-term vision, the price of the PI token has not yet recorded a positive response. August 2025 witnessed the price of PI dropping to a new low, increasing skepticism within the community.

Price chart of PI | Source: TradingViewAs Times of PiNetwork remarked:

"Strategic investments strengthen the reputation and expand the technology of Pi. However, the direct impact on the token value of Pioneers is still unclear."

The gap between the community's expectations for rapid price increases and PCT's cautious steps remains the biggest source of controversy.

The extension of the .pi domain name auction reflects Pi Network's long-term strategy: leveraging Stellar upgrades, expanding the ecosystem, and attracting developers. However, delays in impacting the value of the Pi coin along with controversial investment decisions raise the question: Is Pi Network heading in the right direction or losing the consensus of the community?

Annie