Welcome to Pi Coin’s chaos — A $12b crypto, a Binance listing rumor, a frustrated community, and a CEO calling it a Ponzi

Is Pi Coin the Next Big Thing or Just a Dapper Disaster? 💸😏

Ah, Pi Coin! It recently strutted onto the stage with a market cap of a staggering $12 billion, but with tokens disappearing faster than a magician’s rabbit, migration mishaps, and whispers of a Binance listing, one must wonder: are we witnessing the dawn of a crypto revolution or merely the slow, tragic unraveling of a grand illusion?

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Pi Coin’s wild ride on the market

Picture this: Pi Network, the audacious smartphone mining venture, claims to have amassed a staggering 60 million users. It’s like a party where everyone’s invited, but no one knows who’s bringing the snacks!

When Pi Coin (PI) made its grand entrance on February 20, it was like watching a roller coaster designed by a mad scientist. Initially priced at a modest $1.45, it shot up by over 35% in less than an hour, reaching a dizzying peak of $2.10. 🎢

But just as quickly as it rose, the excitement fizzled out, and within hours, the price plummeted to $1.01, leaving its market cap gasping for air at $7.02 billion. Talk about a dramatic fall from grace!

Fast forward a few weeks, and Pi Coin has shown signs of stability, albeit with more ups and downs than a soap opera plot twist. As of March 12, it sits at $1.71, a 45% drop from its all-time high of $2.99 on February 26. Yet, the market cap has ballooned to $12.26 billion, making Pi Coin the 11th largest crypto by market cap. Bravo! 🎉

But wait, there’s more! In the last 24 hours, Pi Coin has defied the bearish market, posting a 20% gain—the highest among the top 100 cryptocurrencies. With trading volume exceeding $500 million, it’s the belle of the crypto ball!

Pi Network’s meteoric rise has drawn comparisons to past viral sensations like SafeMoon, which thrived on aggressive marketing and referral-driven hype. But is Pi’s momentum sustainable, or is it just another fleeting craze? Let’s dive into this delightful mess!

A bold experiment or the next crypto fallout?

Ah, the genesis of Pi Network! Born from the lofty ambition to make crypto mining as accessible as a cup of tea, it was founded in 2019 by Stanford graduates Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis and Dr. Chengdiao Fan. They aimed to eliminate the barriers of traditional mining, which, let’s face it, requires more hardware than a tech convention.

Instead of the usual proof-of-work nonsense, Pi Network adopted the Stellar Consensus Protocol, allowing users to mine coins with a mere tap of a button. It’s like mining for gold without ever leaving your armchair! 🛋️

This low-effort model attracted millions, but critics raised eyebrows, likening it to a multilevel marketing scheme. After years of development, Pi Network finally opened its mainnet on February 20, allowing its native token, Pi Coin, to be traded. A round of applause, please!

But hold your horses! Despite its rapid rise, Pi Coin remains absent from top-tier exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken. Rumors are swirling that Binance may list Pi Coin on March 14—how delightfully coincidental, aligning with both Pi Day and the project’s six-year anniversary. Will it be a game-changer or just another puff of smoke?

Bybit’s CEO calls Pi Network a scam

Ah, the launch of Pi Coin—a moment of jubilation marred by controversy! Bybit, one of the largest crypto exchanges, recently made headlines for being the victim of a $1.5 billion hack. CEO Ben Zhou, however, had no qualms about calling Pi a scam. How charmingly bold!

1. Here is an official police warning of $Pi from Chinese police back in 2023 warning the public that it’s a scam targeted towards elderly folks which leaks their personal data and loss of their pension. There are multiple other reports out there…

— Ben Zhou (@benbybit) February 20, 2025

According to Zhou, Pi Network’s operations raised red flags, particularly around data privacy and pension losses. He even suggested that Pi resembles a Ponzi scheme, where early adopters benefit at the expense of newcomers. How very scandalous!

While Pi Network attempted to distance itself from the police warning, claiming it targeted bad actors misusing the Pi name, the damage was done. The community was in an uproar, and Zhou remained steadfast, challenging Pi’s leadership to provide transparency. A delightful game of cat and mouse!

Vanishing tokens, delayed migrations

As the excitement surrounding Pi Coin’s mainnet launch wanes, frustration mounts. Users are reporting their tokens disappearing faster than a magician’s assistant! “Pi is a SCAM!!!!” one user lamented on social media, watching their balance vanish upon unlocking. The drama unfolds!

“One very sad thing is happening to naive Pioneers,” another user wrote. “The moment their Pi unlocks, it moves straight to a scammer’s address.” Oh, the irony!

Many victims had unknowingly interacted with fake Pi-related websites, and now their past mistakes are haunting them like a bad ghost story. “The scam phishing sites are now really well made,” one user warned, highlighting the ease with which attackers can imitate the Pi Browser. It’s a digital masquerade ball gone wrong!

The Pi scam phishing sites are now really well made. Even experienced people might fall for those fake sites. @PiCoreTeam you need to open Pi asap, so that people can develop separate wallet apps.

The Pi Browser interface is easily copied and too vulnerable. #pinetwork

— pinetworkmembers π (@pinetworkmember) January 26, 2025

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Many Pioneers are also grappling with the ongoing struggle to migrate their Pi to the mainnet before the March 14 deadline. “I have completed the mainnet checklist. I have been waiting weeks to migrate,” one Pioneer vented. “Pi has done nothing to help. This needs to be fixed!” Oh, the suspense!

I have completed the mainnet checklist. I have been waiting weeks to migrate to mainnet. I have tried everything to solve this problem. The Pi network has done nothing to help solve this problem. It is a very common problem. Pi has done nothing to help fix this and other…

— Jaro Giesbrecht (@JaroGiesbrecht) March 10, 2025

As the clock ticks down, the situation is reaching a boiling point. Some are demanding immediate fixes, while others are calling for regulatory action. Will Pi Network rise to the occasion, or will it fizzle out like a damp firecracker? Only time will tell!

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2025-03-12 23:39