Pi Network Hits 18.1M KYC’d — But Why Are Old Users Still Stuck?

Pi Network’s April 2026 update delivers encouraging numbers on the surface. Over 100,000 new Pioneers completed KYC last month. More than 30,000 migrated to mainnet. Total KYC’d users now stand at 18.1 million. Total mainnet migrations have reached 16.72 million. For a network building toward full decentralization, those are meaningful milestones. But Pi Network mainnet migration update discussions this month are dominated by a different question entirely. Why are longtime Pioneers still stuck in limbo while new users sail through?

The Numbers Behind the Headline

April’s growth represents a 0.56% expansion in KYC completions and 0.18% growth in mainnet migrations month over month. Steady progress but modest given the scale of Pi’s total user base exceeding 60 million engaged Pioneers globally.

Here is last month's Network Update!

Over 100,000 Pioneers have been KYC'd and over 30,000 migrated to Mainnet. pic.twitter.com/vaxgJjfGM2

— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) May 11, 2026

The gap between 18.1 million KYC’d and 16.72 million migrated is notable. Over 1.4 million users have cleared identity verification but have not yet completed mainnet migration. That backlog sits on top of a much larger and older problem. Thousands of Pioneers have been stuck in “tentative approval” KYC status for years. While watching newer users complete the process ahead of them with no explanation and no resolution timeline.

Community frustration around this issue is significant and growing. Pioneers who joined the network in its earliest phases. The very users who built Pi’s foundational user base are among those most affected. The Core Team has not provided a specific timeline for resolving legacy tentative approval cases.

V23 Node Launch Signals Technical Momentum

On the technical side, meaningful progress is happening. The Pi Core Team officially released the v23 node pre-release upgrade package, mainnet-v1.1-p23.0.1, on GitHub. The update addresses database permissions issues and statistical anomalies, optimizing node stability ahead of Testnet 2 and the Pi DEX launch. Node operators can complete the image upgrade as needed. Regular mobile Pioneers do not need to take any action at this stage. The v23 upgrade represents the foundational infrastructure work that smart contract functionality and DEX deployment will build upon.

CiDi Games Launches Pi ELF Beta in South Korea

On the ecosystem front, CiDi Games has launched the beta version of its Pi ELF game in South Korea. It marks one of the first compliant DApp activations following Pi’s recent ecosystem purge. The idle/clicker game features daily missions, character progression, stage-based challenges, and CiDiScore accumulation built around Pi-themed characters including Pioneer Spark and CIDI Echo.

Breaking News! 👏 Within the #PiNetwork ecosystem, @CiDiGames is currently launching its beta version in South Korea.
This is an idle/clicker game that seamlessly blends daily missions, character progression, stage-based challenges, and daily CiDiScore accumulation. It is a… pic.twitter.com/t2FEhyYI5J

— PiNetwork DEX⚡️阿龙 (@PiNetworkAL) May 11, 2026

CiDi Games positioned the launch clearly. The platform is “a place where Pioneers can play, compete, and grow. Where games connect with identity, where casual moments turn into long-term participation, where Pi finds real use in everyday entertainment.”

What This Means for Investors and Developers

For Pi Network price 2026 watchers, the combination of v23 infrastructure progress and ecosystem activation through compliant DApps like CiDi Games. Sustained KYC growth builds the foundation for the exchange listings and commercial ecosystem launch that will ultimately drive price discovery.

For developers, South Korea‘s beta launch of CiDi Games establishes a real-world template for compliant Pi ecosystem applications. The blueprint is live. The question is how many quality builders follow. The migration backlog remains the most important unresolved issue for community trust. Resolving it publicly and systematically would do more for Pi Network sentiment than any single technical milestone.