Pi Network deployed artificial intelligence technology into its verification system this week, reducing the backlog of pending manual reviews by 50% as the blockchain project prepares for a 190 million token unlock in December.
The upgrade integrates the same AI infrastructure used in Pi's Fast Track KYC process into the Standard KYC workflow, creating a unified verification system aimed at accelerating Mainnet migration.
The enhancement comes as Pi faces its largest scheduled token release of the year, valued at approximately $43 million at current prices.
Pi Network's Core Team announced the changes Friday, stating the AI integration addresses validator shortages in certain regions while maintaining accuracy through conservative automated checks that route suspicious cases to human reviewers.
What Happened
The AI-powered system leverages technology first introduced in September's Fast Track KYC initiative, which originally helped new users establish Mainnet wallets without completing 30 mining sessions. That separate fast-track process has now been fully merged into the Standard KYC workflow.
According to Pi's official blog post, the enhancement has already cut the queue of KYC applications awaiting human validation by approximately 50%, making verification faster and more scalable. Human validators remain involved in the process, with AI handling initial screenings and flagging complex cases for manual review.
The upgrade arrives as Pi Network reports 17.5 million users have completed full KYC verification, with 15.7 million already migrated to Mainnet. An additional 3 million users classified as "Tentatively KYC'd" can unlock their status by completing additional liveness verification checks.
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The Core Team emphasized that human labor saved from automated KYC processing will be reallocated to other ecosystem needs, including AI model feedback and application development opportunities.
Why It Matters
The timing of the AI integration proves critical as Pi Network approaches December's scheduled unlock of 190 million tokens, continuing a phased release process that began earlier this year. The unlock represents one of Pi's largest supply events through 2027.
Token unlocks typically introduce selling pressure as newly liquid supply enters circulation. Pi's team appears focused on ensuring maximum users complete verification before the December event to avoid congestion during the release.
The network has simultaneously advanced regulatory compliance efforts, recently filing documentation under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. Pi also announced a strategic investment in CiDi Games to integrate Pi tokens into Web3 gaming experiences, creating additional utility beyond payment functions.
Validator rewards remain delayed, with the Core Team now targeting distribution by the end of Q1 2026. The postponement stems from the complexity of analyzing validation task data accumulated since 2021, which includes hundreds of millions of tasks across different processing phases.
Pi token was trading around $0.22 at press time, down approximately 12% over the past week while major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum showed stronger performance. The cryptocurrency launched on exchanges earlier in 2025 after years of closed-network development.
The December unlock will test whether Pi's ecosystem maturity and growing utility can absorb new supply without significant price pressure, marking a pivotal moment for the project's transition from experimental phase to functioning digital economy.
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