Pi Core Team (PCT) has announced the release of Pi Hackathon 2025. The event is scheduled to start on Thursday, August 21st.
However, the announcement sparked a significant controversy within the PI community, which has been exacerbated by Cryptocurrency’s ongoing price challenges.
PI Hackathon 2025: Will it bring back the PI network amid ongoing issues?
According to the official blog, this marks the first hackathon of the PI network since the launch of Open Network.
“This hackathon invites developers to use PIs to enhance real-world utilities and build and deploy meaningful PI apps that help shape the ecosystem,” the blog reads.
PI Hackathon 2025 will officially start over two days with a final submission deadline of October 15th. The PI Network team also announced that developers will have the opportunity to receive valuable feedback during their midpoint check-in on September 19th.
Hackathon offers a total of 160,000 PI coins (PIs) of prizes. The first-place team receives 75,000 PIs, while the second-place team receives 45,000 PIs. The third-placed team receives 15,000 PIs. Additionally, up to five teams will be recognized with honorable mentions, each receiving 5,000 PIs.
“There is no limit on team size. We recommend that developers work together to form a focused team and build a smaller but higher quality app. Teams must submit their final team member list on the final submission form by October 15th.
As the hackathon approaches, the PI community remains divided. While some express optimism about the boost in potential utilities, the general sentiment is leaning towards frustration.
Users have pointed out that many pioneers are new to using PI SDKs and PIOs. This is a barrier for those who want to participate in hackathons.
He emphasized that introducing a stable version of Pi App Studio simplifies the process and makes it easier for more pioneers to take app ideas into the PI ecosystem.
“Pi App Studio is not ready for a hackathon yet. We need to leave the beta stage,” replied the well-known pioneer.
PCT faced additional criticism for failing to address years of operational issues. Previous validators expressed concerns related to the Customer Knowledge (KYC) process.
“Many of us have gone through KYC completely and will return to interim approval after waiting for a move for over a year. We can’t even communicate with the team. I was a validator too. I have fixed the PI team.”
This persistent problem prevented some pioneers from moving to the mainnet. This is a prerequisite for full ecosystem participation. This raised questions about PCT prioritization.
Finally, perhaps most importantly, Pioneer has also raised alarms about PI prices.
“The CT is happy to see private pockets, but the community remains on this centralized project. Pi has fallen -80%, no demand, left behind a significant centralised distribution of billions. Written by community members.
Beincrypto also highlighted the continued struggle for Pi Coin despite the wider bull market. In fact, investors are increasingly leaving PI, as evidenced by the lack of search interest and the large supply sitting on exchanges.
The PCT has not responded officially to criticism, leaving behind uncertainty about whether hackathons will activate ecosystems or exacerbate current challenges. With registrations open, all eyes become the team’s ability to run events and address mount concerns.
The Pi Network struggle approaches Pi Hackathon 2025, amidst the first appearance of community dissatisfaction.
