Pi Network to Upgrade Node v25 — New Menu Redesign and Privacy Features Incoming
Key Highlights Pi Network will activate Protocol v25 on July 22, 2026, introducing BN254 cryptography and Poseidon hashing to support modern zero-knowledge (ZK) applications.The upgrade enhances network stability and enables more efficient, privacy-preserving smart contracts and identity solutions.Pi has also launched a v2.5 Mining App redesign, featuring improved navigation, a refreshed UI, and the highly requested Dark Mode.Node operators are encouraged to upgrade promptly to remain connected as Pi moves forward with its next major protocol milestone. Pi Network is delivering two meaningful updates simultaneously — a technically significant protocol upgrade that expands what developers can build on the network, and a user-facing app redesign that addresses one of the most consistently requested Pioneer features. Together they reflect a project continuing to ship on both the infrastructure and user experience fronts in parallel. Protocol v25 — What’s Actually Changing Pi Network’s official announcement from @PiCoreTeam provides a clear statement of intent: “On July 22, Pi is scheduled to upgrade to Protocol v25, which primarily focuses on improving network stability and reliability, and supports new capabilities for more efficient, privacy-preserving smart contracts.” The two core technical additions: BN254 Cryptography — BN254 (also known as Alt-BN128) is an elliptic curve pairing scheme specifically optimised for zero-knowledge proof generation and verification. It is the same cryptographic primitive used by Ethereum’s own ZK infrastructure — choosing it for Pi’s protocol upgrade signals deliberate alignment with the broader ZK ecosystem’s technical standards rather than a proprietary approach. Poseidon Hashing — Poseidon is a cryptographic hash function specifically designed to be highly efficient inside ZK circuits — meaning it requires far fewer computational operations to verify inside a zero-knowledge proof than traditional hash functions like SHA-256. This makes it the standard hash function of choice for ZK application development across the broader blockchain ecosystem. What these additions enable in practice: Together, BN254 and Poseidon hashing give Pi developers the cryptographic primitives needed to build genuine zero-knowledge applications — where computations can be verified without revealing the underlying data. The most immediately relevant use case for Pi’s ecosystem is privacy-preserving identity verification: confirming that a Pioneer has passed KYC without exposing their actual personal information in the verification transaction. This connects directly to the PiVerify infrastructure we covered in our Pi2Day 2026 release article — where Pi Network opened its KYC system to external businesses as a paid service. ZK-enabled privacy verification would significantly strengthen PiVerify’s value proposition for businesses that need identity confirmation without retaining raw personal data. Where This Fits in Pi’s Upgrade Roadmap The v25 upgrade on July 22 is the latest step in Pi’s sequential protocol improvement roadmap that has been running throughout 2026. As we covered in our Protocol v25.2 deadline article — Pi has been methodically progressing through a v19-to-v26 upgrade sequence, with each step building on the previous one. The sequence context: Prior step: Protocol v25.2 — deadline was June 18, 2026 for node operators to completeCurrent announcement: Protocol v25 — scheduled for July 22, 2026Broader roadmap: Continuing progression toward v26 Node operators who completed the v25.2 upgrade before the June 18 deadline should follow the same process for v25 — upgrading at the earliest convenience to maintain network connectivity. Pi Network’s guidance is clear: delay increases the risk of temporary disconnection from the network. Mining App v2.5 — The Menu Redesign Alongside the protocol upgrade, Pi has shipped a v2.5 Mining App Menu Redesign — described as the first step in a broader interface refresh for the Pi Mining App. What changed: Redesigned side menu — Better organisation and visual hierarchy across menu sections, making the app’s primary navigation structure cleaner and more intuitive. Easier access to key sections — The Mainnet Checklist, mining information, and featured Pi Apps are now more prominently and directly accessible — reducing the number of taps required to reach the sections that matter most to active Pioneers. Dark Mode — One of the most consistently and frequently requested features from the Pioneer community across multiple years. Dark Mode is now available — accessible through the redesigned menu — offering a visually easier experience particularly for users in low-light environments. Pi Mobile Mining App Dark Mode/Source: minepi Improved UI clarity — A more modern visual style throughout the menu interface, reflecting a design refresh rather than purely functional changes. How to access: Tap the hamburger icon (☰) in the top left of the Pi Mining App to access the new menu and enable Dark Mode. Pi has also opened a Pioneer feedback form for the community to share specific thoughts on the new design and suggest further improvements — indicating the v2.5 redesign is explicitly intended as a first step with more iterations to follow based on community input. Community Reaction — Constructive but Concerns Remain The announcement has generated a broadly mixed but largely constructive reaction from the Pi community: Positive responses: Many Pioneers welcomed the ZK cryptography additions as a meaningful technical step that expands Pi’s potential developer ecosystem. The Dark Mode addition has been particularly well-received — a tangible quality-of-life improvement that the community had been requesting for a considerable time. Some see the move toward zero-knowledge capabilities as important groundwork for Pi’s longer-term utility ambitions. Ongoing frustration: A significant portion of the community continues to express concern about KYC delays — the process through which Pioneers verify their identity to migrate tokens to Mainnet and fully participate in the Open Mainnet ecosystem. For many Pioneers, KYC completion remains the most immediate and personal barrier to meaningful ecosystem participation, and protocol upgrade announcements — while welcomed — do not directly address this specific friction. This tension is not new — it has been one of the consistent themes in Pi community feedback throughout 2026, sitting alongside the PI price decline to a new all-time low and market cap below $1 billion that has tested community patience. Protocol improvements and app redesigns address the infrastructure and user experience layers — but the KYC queue and price action are the dimensions that remain most immediately visible to the average Pioneer. What to Watch Next July 22 — The Protocol v25 upgrade activation date. Watch for official confirmation from @PiCoreTeam and node operator community reports of smooth or problematic upgrade experiences. Feedback form responses — Pi Network’s explicit invitation for Pioneer feedback on the v2.5 redesign suggests the team is actively monitoring community input for the next iteration of the interface refresh. ZK development activity — Whether the BN254 and Poseidon additions attract third-party developers to build genuine ZK applications on Pi will be a key indicator of whether this upgrade translates into ecosystem growth beyond the protocol level.0 Bottom Line Protocol v25 is a technically meaningful upgrade — BN254 cryptography and Poseidon hashing are the foundational primitives for serious ZK application development, and their addition to Pi’s protocol positions the network to support privacy-preserving applications that were previously not buildable on the platform. The Mining App’s v2.5 redesign addresses a real user experience gap, with Dark Mode finally arriving after extended community requests. The challenge remains the same one that has defined Pi’s 2026 narrative: development progress continues to ship while KYC delays and price pressure test Pioneer patience simultaneously. Whether the technical trajectory eventually closes that gap in community sentiment depends on whether the infrastructure improvements translate into measurable ecosystem adoption — and on how quickly the KYC backlog can be meaningfully addressed. Disclaimer: The views and analysis presented in this article are for informational purposes only and reflect the author’s perspective, not financial advice. Technical patterns and indicators discussed are subject to market volatility and may or may not yield anticipated results. Investors are advised to exercise caution, conduct independent research, and make decisions aligned with their individual risk tolerance.
Why $PUMP Soars 16% Despite a Massive Token Unlock — Can It Surge Another 87%?
Key Highlights Pump.fun ($PUMP) is trading at $0.001656, up 16.54% in 24 hours, with a market cap of $664.64 million.Despite a major unlock of 57.3 billion $PUMP tokens, only about 4% of the unlocked supply has reached exchanges, with most tokens still being held.A Power of 3 (PO3) pattern is forming, with a potential target of $0.0031243, implying nearly 87% upside from current levels.Broader risk-on sentiment following cooler US inflation data has also helped support today's rally in $PUMP. Pump.fun has just passed one of the most closely watched tests for any recently listed token: a major team and investor unlock without triggering a collapse. Pump.fun ($PUMP) is trading at $0.001656, up +16.54% in the last 24 hours, with a market capitalization of approximately $664.64 million. The token has shown strong resilience despite the release of a significant portion of team and investor tokens. Market sentiment has turned positive today, supported by yesterday’s cooler-than-expected U.S. CPI data, which helped push Bitcoin above 3% and Ethereum up over 4.5% in the past 24 hours. The Unlock — $82M Distributed, Almost None Sold The most significant development surrounding $PUMP over the past 24 hours is not the price action itself — it is what the price action reveals about token holder behaviour following a major unlock. On July 14, 2026, Pump.fun completed a major unlock of team and investor tokens. According to on-chain analysis by @thatfinchguy: Unlock Metric Data Total tokens unlocked~57.3 billion $PUMPDollar value at unlock~$82–92 million Recipient wallets 120+Tokens reaching exchanges/OTC~$1.5M–$3M (~4%) Tokens still in recipient wallets~96% The headline figure — 96% of unlocked tokens remain unheld — is the data point that has shifted market sentiment from cautious to constructive around $PUMP. Token unlocks are one of the most consistently feared events in crypto markets — and for good reason. When team members and early investors receive tokens they received at near-zero cost, even modest selling into the open market can create significant downward pressure on a token’s price. The expectation of this selling is why unlock events frequently trigger pre-emptive selling in the days or weeks before the actual distribution date. What actually happened: The unlock was widely anticipated — and traders positioned accordingly, with significant short positioning building ahead of the event as participants bet on the expected selling pressure. When that selling pressure failed to materialise at scale — with only ~4% of the $82–92 million in unlocked tokens reaching exchanges — the short positions were squeezed rather than vindicated, contributing to the sharp +16.54% move as shorts covered into a market where sellers were largely absent. Why recipients may be holding: Several factors could explain the 96% retention rate — long-term conviction in the protocol’s trajectory, lockup arrangements that technically distributed tokens but restrict immediate liquidation, the rational decision to avoid selling into a short-squeeze environment that temporarily elevated prices, or simply that coordinated large-scale selling has not yet begun. The on-chain data confirms what has happened so far — it cannot guarantee what happens over the coming days and weeks as recipient wallets continue being monitored. The Macro Backdrop — CPI and Risk-On Sentiment Today’s $PUMP move is also benefiting from the broader positive macro environment that has been building since yesterday’s CPI data. As we covered in detail in our Bitcoin CPI and ETF inflows article — the US CPI print came in at 3.5% YoY versus 3.8% expected, with a month-over-month decline of -0.4% — the most positive inflation reading since the pandemic. This has lifted risk sentiment broadly across crypto markets, with Bitcoin up over 3% and Ethereum up over 4.5% in the past 24 hours. For a mid-cap token like $PUMP — which is sensitive to the broader risk-on or risk-off environment — this macro tailwind provides a constructive backdrop that amplifies token-specific catalysts like the unlock’s non-event outcome. Technical Analysis — Power of 3 Pattern On the daily chart, $PUMP is displaying a Power of 3 (PO3) structure — a three-phase price pattern that describes how smart money typically positions before a significant directional move. The three phases: Accumulation — The range within which large participants build positions without revealing direction: Range High: $0.002162Range Low: $0.001630 Manipulation — A sharp move below the accumulation range designed to trigger stop losses and shake out weak hands, creating the liquidity needed for the expansion phase: Manipulation Low: $0.00119970 — a decisive push below the $0.001630 accumulation floor that flushed out positioned longs before the real move began Expansion — The directional move that follows manipulation, typically moving sharply in the opposite direction of the manipulation spike: Currently underway — $PUMP has reclaimed the $0.001630 level that served as the accumulation range floor, with this level now acting as key support for the bullish structure The setup in plain terms: Price was pushed aggressively below $0.001630 to the manipulation low of $0.00119970 — shaking out stop-loss orders and creating the liquidity needed for the subsequent move. It has since reclaimed $0.001630, which now functions as the key support distinguishing the expansion phase from a continuation of the prior downtrend. The $0.002162 resistance is the immediate barrier. A decisive breakout above this level — ideally confirmed with volume — would activate the PO3 pattern’s measured move and open the path toward the $0.0031243 target, representing approximately +87% upside from the current price of $0.001656. The $0.001630 support is the level that must hold to preserve the expansion phase narrative. A sustained close below $0.001630 would suggest the pattern has failed and that the manipulation low at $0.00119970 may be revisited. Why the Unlock Non-Event Is Structurally Significant Beyond the immediate price action — the unlock’s non-event outcome carries a specific structural implication for $PUMP going forward. Token unlocks that fail to produce expected selling pressure have a documented tendency to be followed by sustained price strength — for two compounding reasons. First, the short positions built in anticipation of selling pressure have now been squeezed, removing a category of sellers from the market. Second, the failure of large holders to sell at the first opportunity they have had — despite holding tokens at effectively zero cost — signals either that they believe higher prices are ahead or that structural lockup constraints remain in place. Neither interpretation is bearish. Both are consistent with the 96% retention rate data and the +16.54% response the market has delivered today. Bottom Line Pump.fun’s combination of a failed unlock-driven selloff and a constructive Power of 3 technical setup creates one of the more interesting mid-cap setups in the current market. The 96% retention rate among unlock recipients has removed the most feared near-term selling pressure — and the short squeeze it triggered has given $PUMP a strong price foundation to build on. Watch $0.002162 as the breakout trigger that would activate the +87% measured move toward $0.0031243. Watch $0.001630 as the support floor that must hold for the bullish expansion narrative to remain intact. Disclaimer: The views and analysis presented in this article are for informational purposes only and reflect the author’s perspective, not financial advice. Technical patterns and indicators discussed are subject to market volatility and may or may not yield anticipated results. Investors are advised to exercise caution, conduct independent research, and make decisions aligned with their individual risk tolerance.
主要なハイライト ソラナ(SOL)は75.31ドルで取引されており、過去7日で7.06%下落、年初来(YTD)では約40%下落している。背景には、より広範な市場の弱さがある。 アナリストのMichaël van de Poppe氏は、現在の水準は「持つか崩れるか(make or break)」だと述べている。サポートを維持できれば反発が起こり得る一方、73ドルを下回ると次の下落局面が始まる可能性がある。 SOLの現在の構造は、2023年の調整局面のパターンに非常に近く、回復が再現される可能性への期待が高まっている。 76〜97ドルのレンジは依然として強気派にとって重要だ。上抜けが起これば120〜125ドルを目標にする一方、73ドルを下回ると、より深い下方向のリスクがある。