In a major shift, the U.S. SEC has rolled back several proposals introduced during Gary Gensler’s tenure. Among the withdrawn rules are the controversial expanded Custody Rule, the DeFi-targeted Rule 3b-16, and stricter ESG reporting mandates. These changes signal a softer regulatory stance as pressure mounts for clearer, more balanced crypto oversight. The move has been welcomed by many in the digital asset space, viewing it as a step toward more practical and innovation-friendly regulation.
According to data from PiScan, the Pi Network’s core team currently holds the majority of the total Pi Coin (PI) supply.
While such concentration may be necessary during the early stages of a network’s development, it also raises significant concerns about the project’s future decentralization.
Pi Coin Supply Concentration: Core Team’s Control Sparks Worries
The latest data reveals that the Pi Network’s core team controls approximately 62.8 billion Pi Coins across six wallets. Additionally, around 20 billion PI sits in roughly 10,000 unlisted wallets that belong to the team.
This brings the total supply held by these entities to about 82.8 billion PI. It represents a major chunk of the total maximum supply of 100 billion.
Further complicating the centralization issues, Pi Network is currently operating with only 43 nodes and three validators globally. In stark contrast, more established Layer 1 networks, such as Bitcoin (BTC), operate with over 21,000 nodes.Moreover, Ethereum (ETH) has over 6,600, and Solana (SOL) has around 4,800 nodes.
The limited number of nodes and validators means that control of the network is concentrated in the hands of a few entities. Therefore, this makes the network much more centralized than its more established counterparts.
“Analyzing Pi Network’s source code and on-chain data is currently challenging due to its incomplete openness,” PiScan posted on X.
Meanwhile, Pi Network has also raised doubts regarding privacy and third-party involvement. In the 2025 privacy policy update, Pi Network revealed that it uses ChatGPT for its Know Your Customer (KYC) process. This feature was not mentioned in the previous version of the policy.
“We use ChatGPT, as a trusted AI partner, to automate identity verification and enhance security measures. By using our KYC services, users consent to the use of ChatGPT, and other AI providers that may be later implemented, as part of our KYC process,” the document states.
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into the KYC process brings a new layer of complexity to how user data is shared and processed.
This dissatisfaction has resulted in a sharp decline in Pi Network’s popularity. According to Google Trends, the search interest for “Pi Network” has dropped significantly since the mainnet launch on February 20.
On launch day, the search interest was at 100, indicating a peak of public attention and excitement surrounding the event. However, this figure has plummeted to just 12 at the time of this report, reflecting a steep decline in interest.
The idea of merging all the current Broccoli projects into one has gained much attention. Even the former CEO of Binance, CZ, has supported this idea.
Previously, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) shared the story of his dog Broccoli, which quickly sparked a wave of meme coins BROCCOLI in the crypto market. However, these projects are fragmented, and many have seen sharp price drops since their launch.
The Bold Idea Of Merging All The Broccoli Meme Coins
A user on the X platform (formerly Twitter) shared his opinion on the current state of the Broccoli projects. In the present context, this user posed a question:
“The odds of any single broccoli hitting 10x are slim to none on its own, but together?” the X user suggested.
He pointed out that the fragmentation of the Broccoli meme coin projects has prevented many investors from participating because people don’t know—or can’t predict—which project will receive liquidity.
There are too many projects being introduced. The popularity of the Broccoli meme coin has brought CZ in for much criticism.
Some Broccoli projects reached a market cap of tens of millions of USD within hours but quickly collapsed due to sell-offs or scams.
Different BROCCOLI Meme Coins on DEXs. Source: DEXSCREENER
Earlier this January, Binance announced and introduced three Broccoli projects, including Broccoli (BROCCOLI), CZ’S DOG (Broccoli), and Broccoli (Broccoli) into Binance Alpha, which have the potential to be listed on the exchange.
“Merging all Broccoli under one new contract is the safest, most promising bet for everyone involved. The odds of any single Broccoli hitting 10x are slim to none on its own, but together? That’s a real possibility,” wrote popular BNB trader Ben Todar.
He noted that each community is too distinct, and picking one as the standout is very difficult. When CZ first shared about his dog Broccoli, many investors asked him for the official CA (contract address).
The former Binance CEO has also expressed interest in this idea. He suggested that combining them would be the best approach in the current chaotic meme coin space.
Most recently, when CZ revealed that he holds a significant amount of BNB, the price of the BROCCOLI meme coin skyrocketed. However, as of the time BeInCrypto wrote this article, many BROCCOLI coins had lost most of their value.
The three CZ’s Dog projects on Binance Alpha have faced the same fate. Data show that more than 40% of Binance Alpha tokens decreased in price after the announcement.
Thus, the merger idea might be an attempt to salvage the situation. A larger community may have the opportunity to vote on the listing of their coin through a new feature introduced by Binance.
However, the timing and potential execution plan remain unclear.
Yesterday, Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw significant inflows, marking the third consecutive day of net positive flows.
With BTC now trading back above the $90,000 mark, signs point to renewed institutional interest, as major players appear to be piling back into the market after weeks of caution.
BTC ETF Inflows Jump 146% in a Day
On Wednesday, net inflows into US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs surged to $936.43 million, a 146% jump from the $381.40 million recorded the previous day.
Total Bitcoin Spot ETF Net Inflow. Source: SosoValue
This also represented the largest single-day inflow since January 17, signaling a notable resurgence in institutional demand for BTC exposure.
Ark Invest and 21Shares’ ETF ARKB led the inflow charge, recording the highest daily net inflow of $267.10 million, bringing its total cumulative net inflows to $2.87 billion.
Fidelity’s ETF FBTC followed with a net inflow of $253.82 million. The ETF’s total historical net inflows now stand at $11.62 billion.
BTC’s Price Pumps, But Derivatives Traders Bet on a Fall
On the derivatives side, open interest in BTC futures has also climbed, reflecting the increased trading activity and speculative positioning as the coin attempts to stabilize above $90,000.
BTC trades at $93,548 at press time, noting a 6% price surge over the past day. During the same period, its futures open interest has also risen by 16%. As of this writing, it stands at $67.19 billion, its highest level since January 24.
When an asset’s price and open interest rise simultaneously, it signals strong conviction behind the move. It means more capital is entering the market to support the uptrend.
However, not all indicators point to bullish sentiment.
Despite BTC’s price surge over the past day, the funding rate remains negative, suggesting that traders are paying a premium to short the coin in the futures markets. The coin’s funding rate is currently at -0.01%.
BTC’s negative funding rate means that shorts are paying longs to keep their positions open. This indicates that more traders are betting against BTC’s current rally and are anticipating a bearish reversal.
Additionally, the put-to-call ratio leans bearish. This confirms waning investor confidence and expectations of downward price movement among BTC options traders.
