Pi Network just rolled out one of its biggest technical upgrades in years, but the market reacted in a surprising way. While the ecosystem introduced major new features, the token actually saw a sharp sell-off.
On March 15, the network launched smart contract capabilities and introduced an early version of its Pi Launchpad on the testnet. The update marks a major step toward building a real app ecosystem around the project.
However, the excitement didn’t immediately translate into price gains. Only a day ago, the token fell by 26% after its listing on Kraken, which was termed as a classic case of “sell the news” by many traders.
However, the new upgrades might have an even larger role to play in determining the long-term value of the ecosystem.
Pi Launchpad and PiRC1 Aim to Fix Web3 Token Launches
The new Pi Launchpad was highlighted by BeInCrypto, which reported that the first version of the platform has already been released as a Pi App on the testnet with a test token.
Alongside the launchpad, developers introduced PiRC1, a new token standard designed to solve several long-standing problems in Web3.
According to discussions shared by the crypto community, traditional token standards such as ERC‑20 made it very easy to launch new tokens, but they also opened the door to issues like rug pulls, speculative launches, and projects with no real product.
LATEST: Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) releases the initial version of the Pi Launchpad as a Pi App on the Testnet with a test token! pic.twitter.com/CwZPnMqray
— BeInCrypto (@beincrypto) March 16, 2026
PiRC1 tries to flip that model in a few important ways.
First, it introduces a liquidity-first system. In many token launches today, investors send funds directly to the project team. Under PiRC1, the funds instead go straight into a liquidity pool. This structure could reduce rug-pull risks while also helping tokens start trading with built-in market liquidity.
Secondly, the system emphasizes a product-first strategy. This means that instead of launching a token first and then developing a product, projects on the network would have to have a functional app and users before launching a token.
The system also takes into account participation in the ecosystem. Users who are actively participating in the apps, engagement, or the ecosystem in general may be given better token distribution than passive investors.
Lastly, the PiRC1 is being proposed for adoption through a community review process, similar to how improvement proposals are proposed in an ecosystem such as Ethereum.
The overall goal is that tokens should represent real ecosystem activity rather than pure speculation.
🚨 PiRC1: Solving Most of Web3’s Biggest Problems and Turning Them into our Advantages.
— PiNews360⁰ (@PiNews360) March 16, 2026
To understand why $Pi is extremely different, we need to look at how most tokens are launched today.
Standards like ERC-20 made it easy to create tokens — but they also created many problems… pic.twitter.com/sPWtgqPEmY
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Here’s the Pi Coin Price If PiRC1 Gains Adoption
At writing, Pi Coin is trading around $0.2024, reflecting the recent volatility after its exchange listing and ecosystem announcements.
If PiRC1 is able to attract developers and assist in the launching of actual applications, it can have a huge effect in the long term, as launchpads are known to become significant growth drivers for blockchain networks.
In the moderate growth scenario, where the launchpad continues to see adoption and multiple apps start launching their tokens on PiRC1, the token could realistically move into the $0.50 to $0.80 range.
In the stronger adoption scenario, where PiRC1 sees widespread adoption and the network starts to see a number of real apps, the Pi Coin price could potentially move into the $1.50 to $2.00 range.
For now, the market is still digesting the recent upgrades. But if the Pi Launchpad and PiRC1 standard truly help solve some of Web3’s biggest token problems, the current price levels could eventually look very different.
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