Pi Network is facing growing criticism from its community and developers. The coin that saw massive hype is now turning out to be a nightmare for investors and traders who rooted for the success of the project. The main issue lies in the long delays in approving “Know Your Business” (KYB) applications, which are required for projects to officially build on the Pi mainnet. This has left many developers feeling stuck, and some are now turning to other blockchains to keep things moving.
PiDaoSwap Shifts to Binance Chain
One of the latest examples is PiDaoSwap, a decentralized exchange that had been waiting over two weeks for KYB approval from the PiCoreTeam (PCT). Tired of waiting, the team decided to launch their NFT project on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) instead. They described the delay as “agonizing” and said they didn’t want to sit idle while waiting for approval.
PiDaoSwap clarified that they still want to build on the Pi Network, but until they get the green light from the PCT, they’re choosing to move forward on BSC as a temporary step. This decision also highlights a bigger concern as Binance continues to ignore Pi Network in its “Vote to List” campaigns, instead focusing on more active BSC projects.
We officially submitted the KYB application 15 working days ago, but the KYB review process has been excessively prolonged. Currently, the foundational framework of PiDaoSwap has been fully developed. We have chosen to launch community NFTs on BSC as an interim solution rather… https://t.co/EaqtjdpiQ9
Moreover, the PiCoreTeam is catching serious heat from well-known figures in the community. Dr Altcoin, a prominent community member, didn’t hold back. He said PiDaoSwap’s experience isn’t unique; other centralized exchanges (CEXs) are also waiting on KYB approvals. According to him, these delays are preventing Pi Coin from being listed on major platforms like Bybit.
He also accused the PCT of not being transparent about important token mechanics like locking and burning, which could be further holding back listings and partnerships.
Pi Coin Price Dips, But Interest Remains
As a result of all this uncertainty, Pi Coin’s price has crashed another 20% in just 24 hours and slipped to $0.44, now out of the top 30 crypto rankings. Investor confidence has collapsed, with many fearing a further 60% drop to $0.10. Despite a few positive developments, the overall sentiment around Pi Coin has turned sharply bearish, and hopes for a recovery are fading fast.
Hopes of seeing the token reach $1 have taken a hit. Still, the community believes things could turn around if the PiCoreTeam can speed up approvals and land a big exchange listing. Interestingly, despite the backlash, the PCT is still moving ahead with its domain auction, reporting over 200,000 bids, a sign that enthusiasm for Pi is still alive, even if tensions are rising.
Regulatory sandboxes have emerged as a concept to drive innovation in a controlled setting. They allow companies to test new crypto products and services while regulators observe and adapt regulations. While jurisdictions like the UK, the UAE, and Singapore have already created sandboxes, the US has yet to create one at the federal level.
BeInCrypto spoke with representatives of OilXCoin and Asset Token Ventures LLC to understand what the US needs to build a federal regulatory sandbox and how it can unify a fragmented testing environment for innovators.
A Patchwork Approach
As the name suggests, regulatory sandboxes have emerged as a tool for providing a controlled testing ground. This environment allows entrepreneurs, businesses, industry leaders, and lawmakers to interact with new and innovative products.
According to the Institute for Reforming Government, 14 states in the United States currently have regulatory sandboxes for fintech innovation.
Of those, 11 are industry-specific and cover other sectors like artificial intelligence, real estate, insurance, child care, healthcare, and education.
Utah, Arizona, and Kentucky are the only jurisdictions among these states with an all-inclusive sandbox. Meanwhile, all but 12 states are currently considering legislation to create some regulatory sandbox for innovation.
Due to its relatively short existence, the crypto market has underdeveloped legislation. While state-level sandboxes enable innovators to demonstrate their products’ capabilities to the public, they are significantly constrained by the lack of federal regulatory sandboxes.
The Need for Federal Oversight
Though statewide efforts to create regulatory sandboxes are vital for innovation, entrepreneurs and businesses still face constraints in developing across borders or reaching an audience at a national level.
Rapid advancements in fields like blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) add a particular layer of uncertainty, given that existing legal frameworks may not be well-suited to these technologies.
At the same time, regulators may face difficulties in developing appropriate rules for these technologies due to a potential lack of familiarity with these constantly changing industries.
As a result, industry participants are increasingly calling for creating a federal regulatory sandbox. This environment could be a collaborative framework to address the gap, facilitating communication and knowledge sharing between regulators and industry stakeholders.
“The implementation of a federal regulatory sandbox in the United States has the potential to significantly enhance both innovation and regulatory oversight by reducing the uncertainties often associated with navigating the regulatory landscape across state lines. Such an initiative could help establish a coherent framework characterized by uniformity, continuity, and a conducive environment for innovation,” said Paul Talbert, Managing Director of ATV Fund.
According to Rademacher and Talbert, this proposal would meet the needs of all players involved.
Benefits of a Federal Regulatory Sandbox
A sandbox provides innovators with a controlled environment to test products under regulatory oversight without the immediate burden of full compliance with rules that may not yet fit their technology.
It also allows regulators to acquire firsthand insights into blockchain applications, facilitating the creation of more knowledgeable and flexible regulatory policies.
“Startups should have clear eligibility criteria to determine their qualification for participation, while regulators must outline specific objectives—whether focused on refining token classification frameworks, testing DeFi applications, or improving compliance processes,” Rademacher said.
It could also help the United States reinforce its position as a leader in technological innovation.
“By fostering innovation through simplicity, regulatory certainty, and conducive environments, the United States can significantly strengthen its competitive position in the global fintech landscape,” Talbert added.
While the United States has stalled in creating a federal framework for fintech innovation, other jurisdictions around the world have already gained significant ground in this regard.
Global Precedents
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates the United Kingdom’s financial services, launched the first regulatory sandbox in 2014 as part of Project Innovate. This initiative aimed to provide a controlled environment for testing innovative products.
The government asked the FCA to establish a regulatory process to promote new technology-based financial services and fintech and ensure consumer protection.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore, in particular, have made progressive strides in creating federal regulatory sandboxes.
The UAE, for example, currently has four different sandboxes: the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Regulation Lab, the DSFA Sandbox, the CBUAE FinTech Sandbox, and the DFF Regulation Lab.
Their focus areas include digital banking, blockchain, payment systems, AI, and autonomous transport.
Meanwhile, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) launched its Fintech Regulatory Sandbox in 2016. Three years later, MAS also launched the Sandbox Express, providing firms with a faster option for market testing certain low-risk activities in pre-defined environments.
“The success of regulatory sandboxes in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates has highlighted the importance of key attributes: regulatory collaboration, transparent processes, continuous monitoring, and the allocation of dedicated resources. As a result, a growing number of jurisdictions worldwide are looking to replicate the frameworks established by these pioneering countries to strengthen their competitive position in the global fintech landscape,” Talbert said.
Rademacher believes these jurisdictions’ innovations should prompt the United States to accelerate its progress.
For that to happen, the United States must overcome certain hurdles.
Challenges of a Fragmented US Regulatory Landscape
A fragmented network of federal and state agencies overseeing financial services presents a key challenge to establishing a US federal regulatory sandbox.
“Unlike other countries with a single financial authority overseeing the market, the U.S. has multiple agencies—including the SEC, CFTC, and banking regulators—each with different perspectives on how digital assets should be classified and regulated. The lack of inter-agency coordination makes implementing a unified sandbox more complex than in jurisdictions with a single regulatory body,” Rademacher told BeInCrypto.
Yet, in recent years, important SEC and CFTC actors have expressed interest in adopting a more favorable regulatory approach to innovation.
“Even though I tend to be more of a beach than a sandbox type of regulator, sandboxes have proven effective in facilitating innovation in highly regulated sectors. Experience in the UK and elsewhere has shown that sandboxes can help innovators try out their innovations under real-world conditions. A sandbox can provide a viable path for smaller, disruptive firms to enter highly regulated markets to compete with larger incumbent firms,” Peirce said in a statement last May.
However, the full scope of national regulations far exceeds the authority of these two entities.
Congressional and Constitutional Hurdles
Any legislative measure to develop a federal regulatory framework for sandboxes in the United States would have to undergo Congressional approval. Talbert highlighted several potential constitutional dilemmas the promotion of an initiative of this nature may face.
“These dilemmas include issues related to the non-delegation doctrine, which raises concerns about the constitutionality of delegating legislative power; equal protection considerations under the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause; challenges arising from the Supremacy Clause; and implications under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and principles of judicial review,” he said.
To address these complexities, Congress must enact clear legal boundaries that ensure a regulatory framework is both predictable and open. Given the current administration’s emphasis on technological innovation, the prospects for creating a sandbox appear positive.
“Given the current composition of Congress, which aligns with the political orientation of the new executive branch, there may be a timely opportunity for regulatory reform. Such reform could facilitate the creation of a cohesive federal regulatory framework and enhance collaboration among federal agencies,” Talbert told BeInCrypto.
However, creating a federal regulatory sandbox is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Balancing State Autonomy and Federal Regulations
State autonomy is enshrined in the US Constitution. This protection means that, even though a regulatory sandbox may exist at the national level, individual states still have the authority to restrict or prohibit sandboxes within their jurisdictions.
Encouragingly, most US states are already exploring regulatory sandboxes, and the states that have already implemented them represent diverse political viewpoints.
However, other considerations beyond political resistance must also be addressed.
“A federal regulatory sandbox might also face opposition from established financial institutions, including banks, which may perceive potential threats to their existing business models. Furthermore, federal budgetary constraints could impede the government’s capacity to support the development and maintenance of a federal regulatory framework,” Talbert added.
Effective federal regulations will also require a balance between businesses’ concerns and regulators’ responsibilities.
“The two biggest risks are overregulation—imposing excessive restrictions that undermine the sandbox’s purpose—or underregulation, failing to provide meaningful clarity. If the rules are too restrictive, businesses may avoid participation, limiting the sandbox’s effectiveness. If they are too lax, there is a risk of abuse or regulatory arbitrage. A well-executed federal regulatory sandbox should not become a bureaucratic burden but rather a dynamic framework that fosters responsible growth in the digital asset space,” Rademacher told BeInCrypto.
Ultimately, the best approach will require coordination from different governing bodies, industry stakeholders, and bipartisan collaboration.
Fostering Collaboration for a Successful Sandbox
Due to recent strained communication between tech and federal agencies, Rademacher believes fostering a cooperative atmosphere is essential for creating a functional federal sandbox.
“The approach must be collaborative rather than adversarial. Agencies should view the sandbox as an opportunity to refine regulations in real time, working alongside industry participants to develop policies that foster responsible innovation. Involvement from banking regulators and the Treasury Department could also be valuable in ensuring that digital assets are integrated into the broader financial system in a responsible manner,” he said.
Achieving this requires a bipartisan approach to harmonizing regulatory goals and setting clear boundaries. Industry collaboration with lawmakers and regulators is vital to showing how a sandbox can promote responsible innovation while safeguarding consumers.
“Its success will ultimately depend on whether it serves as a bridge between innovation and regulation, rather than an additional layer of complexity,” Rademacher concluded.
The ongoing Pi Network price consolidation could be a calm before the storm ahead of an eventual comeback. Pi Coin trades at $0.65, a level it has remained in even as Bitcoin price crossed $90K and the valuation of all tokens neared $3 trillion. There are 3 top reasons why the value of Pi may short-squeeze, including exchange listings, upcoming crypto rally, and the Consensus event.
Key Reasons Why Pi Network Price Could Go Through a Short Squeeze
The recent Pi Coin crash has been a boom to short-sellers who have benefited as its price plunged from $3 in February to the current $0.65. However, these sellers could soon experience a short squeeze if the coin suddenly wakes up as others have done in the past.
A good example of a short squeeze was Stellar Lumens (XLM), which remained in a narrow range between $0.075 and $0.16 for months in 2024. It then surged by over 500% within a month after Trump’s election, as the chart below shows.
XLM Price Chart
The ongoing consolidation also matches with the concepts of the Wyckoff Theory. This theory characterizes the accumulation phase as one where an asset moves sideways as smart money accumulates.
Therefore, for the Pi Network price to have such a squeeze, it will need a few catalysts, with the most notable ones being:
Centralized Exchange (CEX) listing.
Potential cryptocurrency rally.
Upcoming Consensus event in Miami.
As CoinGape reported on Wednesday, the most significant catalyst for the Pi Coin price will be its listing on several notable exchanges. The most significant ones are the tier-1 platforms, such as Coinbase and Binance. HTX has also hinted that it will list Pi soon. Such a move would lead to a triple-digit short squeeze as other tokens like Orca and DeepBook
Crypto Market Rally and Consensus Event
Furthermore, the Pi Coin price could surge significantly due to the upcoming crypto market rally. Some popular analysts have boosted their bullish estimates on Bitcoin. Robert Kiyosaki’s Bitcoin prediction is $180,000. A sustained BTC price rally would add fire to other altcoins, including viral ones like Pi Network.
The other reason why the value of Pi may surge is the upcoming Consensus event in Toronto. This event will be key as Pi is a major sponsor, and its founder, Nicolas Kokkalis, will talk. As such, it is likely that he will make deals with other participants, including representatives from top CEX firms.
Pi Network Price Potential Targets
Pi Network remains in a tight range this week, even as other tokens have rallied. On the positive side, there are signs that it has formed a slanted double-bottom pattern whose neckline is at $0.7840, its highest level this month. A DB pattern normally leads to a surge.
Additionally, there are signs that it is now in the accumulation phase of the Wyckoff Theory. After this, the token will likely enter the mark-up, which has high demand than supply.
If this view is correct, the most likely Pi Network forecast is where it initially rises to the neckline at $0.7838, followed by the psychological level of $1. A move above that level will point to further gains ahead.
Pi Network Price Chart
The risk, however, is that the token has also formed a rising wedge pattern, which my lead to more downside as token unlocks continue.
