Pi Network’s latest push for voluntary token lockups has triggered a wave of criticism across its community.
The August 2 announcement encouraged Pioneers to lock up their Pi coins in exchange for boosted mining rates. This sparked a swift backlash on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
Pi Network Token Lockup Push
The lockup feature allows users to lock PI either before or after migrating to the Mainnet.
According to the latest blog, post-migration lockups via the Pi Wallet offer up to a 200% mining boost and apply directly to Pi, which is already on-chain.
Meanwhile, pre-migration lockups, configured via the main Pi app, influence future transfer balances and reward projections.
Once confirmed, all lockups are binding for the selected duration and cannot be undone.
The timing of the announcement has angered many in the Pi Network community.
Users pointed to a declining token price, persistent KYC verification delays, and a stagnant migration process as reasons why trust in the project is eroding.
Many noted that locking up more Pi now—without clear utility or liquidity—feels premature and even exploitative.
Others expressed disappointment with the slow rollout of promised ecosystem features. Tools like Pi Domains and App Studio remain either unfinished or inactive, despite earlier previews.
This lack of follow-through has added to concerns that the project is stalling while still asking users for deeper commitment.
Complaints about the migration queue remain widespread. Some Pioneers report waiting over a year despite completing all KYC steps, with large portions of their balances stuck in an unverified state.
For these users, the option to lock up Pi feels irrelevant when they can’t access their funds.
Several users also criticized the Core Team’s silence on roadmap updates and unresolved bugs, calling for greater transparency and accountability before asking for further user participation.
Meanwhile, many users are still unhappy that Pi Network hasn’t received wider listing, specifically on Binance.
However, BeInCrypto recently hosted a podcast on why a Binance listing could worsen the market situation for PI.
Price Decline and Ecosystem Pressures
The backlash arrives during a disaster period for Pi coin’s price. The token dropped a further 11% on Saturday, hitting an all-time low.
Overall, Pi coin has dropped nearly 90% from its February high.
Adding further pressure, August marks the release of 160 million unlocked tokens, the largest monthly unlock in Pi Network’s history. The added supply is likely to weigh on an already fragile market.
Earlier this week, Pi Network also implemented its lowest-ever mining rate.
The move was part of its deflationary emission model, intended to control inflation and encourage long-term engagement through lockups.
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