Key highlights:
- Pi coin extended its recovery after the Protocol 26 upgrade news
- Mainnet node operators must upgrade before August 11
- Developers said the update takes the network closer to decentralization
Pi coin is up by 6% in the past 24 hours. This came after Pi Network shared that the network is rolling out Protocol 26. All mainnet node operators were asked to complete the upgrade before August 11, 2026, as the team gears closer to its final protocol upgrade.
The Pi Mainnet is upgrading to Protocol 26. Deadline: Aug. 11.
All Mainnet node operators must complete the upgrade before the deadline to remain connected to the network. Details here: https://t.co/9VehO7hhj1
Protocol 26 is a major milestone ahead of the final planned upgrade,…
— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) July 29, 2026
Pi Network begins Protocol 26 upgrade
Pi Network said that the mainnet would be moving to Protocol 26 in the coming days. This is the last stage before the final Protocol 27 update. The team added that mainnet node operators who fail to upgrade before the August 11 deadline could be disconnected from the network.
“All Mainnet node operators must complete the upgrade before the deadline to remain connected to the network,” they said.
It is worth mentioning that the team has completed eight upgrades over the past months. The final two upgrades, that is v26 and v27, will bring protocol features that would improve the functionality and performance of the network.
The team also shared that these changes will help the network get “closer to user-centric decentralization.” The upgrade could potentially improve its scalability and support privacy-focused applications.
Pi coin price reacts, but challenges remain
The upgrade news gave Pi coin a short-term boost. The token rose about 6.1% during the day to around $0.084. The token also did better than the crypto market as a whole, which is currently in a downturn.
This is not the first time upgrade news pushed the token higher. In mid-July, Pi gained over 3.5% after the project redesigned its mining app menu and profile page.
A similar occurrence happened after Protocol 25 went live on July 22. The token pumped to around $0.103 before falling back to $0.10 at the time.
A major challenge for the coin is the token supply. According to PiScan data, about 4.25 million PI enter circulation every day. Also, about 1.71 billion PI tokens would still be unlocked over the next 12 months.
Source: PiScan
This increase in supply could make it harder for the coin to sustain gains unless demand also grows. Meanwhile, the token is still down about 8% in the past seven days and 25% in the last month.
Technical signals show cautious outlook
Even after the bounce, the technical picture tells investors to be cautious. Pi Network is still trading below its major moving averages. The 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) is around $0.104, while the 100-day EMA is at $0.124 and the 200-day EMA is close to $0.167. These levels could act as resistance if buyers continue pushing the price up.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently around 37, which means selling pressure is easing, but this is still weak. Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator is slightly positive, hinting that bearish momentum may be slowing.
If buyers stay active, the resistance levels would be $0.097 and $0.116, depending on volume. On the flip side, traders are watching the $0.073 support level. A break below this could cause another round of selling.