More than 60 million people now tap their phones to mine Pi cryptocurrency, and over 12 million have completed KYC to move towards Pi’s mainnet, according to a June 2024 Pi Network progress update.
In the same announcement, the team confirmed that 5.79 million users had already migrated to its enclosed mainnet and around 70 real Pi apps were live or mainnet‑ready, showing that this isn’t just another empty token with a slick app. For Indian users who feel they showed up late to Bitcoin, that combination of scale and simplicity makes the Pi coin price in India a surprisingly interesting way to explore crypto without putting large amounts of money on the line.
This article walks you through what Pi actually does on your phone, where the project stands on its path to a fully open network, and how you can use it in a way that’s positive, realistic and aligned with India’s rules on digital assets. Every claim is grounded in official Pi Network communications, international regulatory guidance and independent analysis of earning potential, not Telegram rumours or hype threads. The goal is to help you treat Pi as a useful starting point in crypto rather than a promise of overnight wealth.
The Logic Behind Pi’s Phone‑Based Mining
Pi’s appeal starts with something very simple: you tap a button in an app, and your balance slowly grows. Unlike Bitcoin mining, which relies on power‑hungry hardware, Pi uses a mobile‑friendly “social consensus” approach where security comes from a network of trusted contacts and nodes, not from burning electricity on complex puzzles. The result is a mining experience that barely touches your battery or data plan, which is exactly what a lot of smartphone users in India need.
Crypto app reviews routinely list Pi among the most widely used free or mobile mining tools because of this low‑effort design. You don’t need a graphics card, a fancy laptop, or a trading account; you just need a phone and a few seconds each day. That’s also why Pi has reached over 60 million engaged users globally, according to its 2024 press release, making it one of the largest communities experimenting with this kind of model.
Framed that way, Pi can become a kind of “crypto sandbox” on your phone. You build a daily habit, get familiar with terms like wallets, nodes and dApps, and accumulate a balance that might gain value if the ecosystem matures. That combination of engagement, education and optional upside is what makes the experience worthwhile for many Indian users, even before any exchange listing news.
What Pi’s Mainnet Progress Means
If all you ever saw was the mining screen, it would be fair to ask: what’s the point of earning Pi if it can’t move freely yet? The answer lies in the way the project has structured its mainnet rollout. Pi currently runs an “enclosed mainnet,” which means the blockchain is live and users can hold and use Pi within its own ecosystem, while broad connectivity to outside exchanges remains limited until certain conditions are met.
In its June 2024 update, Pi set out clear milestones for moving to an open network: at least 15 million users verified through its native KYC system, 10 million accounts migrated to mainnet, and around 100 real apps providing genuine utility, along with continued technical progress and a reasonably supportive external environment. As of that announcement, the project reported more than 12 million KYC’d users, 5.79 million migrated accounts and 70 apps that solve practical problems for Pi users. Those numbers show steady progress toward a point where your mined Pi can interact more freely with the wider crypto world.
For India, the backdrop matters just as much as the milestones. Since the 2022 Union Budget, income from transfers of “virtual digital assets” such as cryptocurrencies has been taxed at a flat 30%, with 1% TDS on certain transactions above threshold, as analysed by Indian tax and law firms. At the global level, the Financial Action Task Force updated its guidance in 2021 to require countries to license or register virtual asset service providers and to manage risks from peer‑to‑peer transactions, including applying the Travel Rule to certain transfers. Any eventual listing of Pi on Indian exchanges or cross‑border platforms will have to sit inside that emerging framework.
Seen from that angle, the enclosed mainnet phase isn’t just a delay; it’s also a training ground. Users learn to complete KYC, manage addresses and interact with apps before they’re dealing with a volatile external market. For many Indian beginners, that slower, more structured journey can reduce the risk of being blindsided by scams or sudden price swings once Pi eventually steps into open waters.
Cents, Sense and Safety
So how should you approach Pi if you’re in India and curious, but cautious? A good starting point is to align your expectations with what the data actually shows. The evidence‑based review mentioned earlier is quite clear: Pi mining, as it stands, is best thought of as an activity that yields small rewards for light engagement, with future value depending heavily on network growth and real utility. Free mobile mining apps generally work this way, whether they focus on Pi or other tokens.
Within that reality, Pi can still be a very positive tool, if you use it intentionally. One practical way to think about your Pi journey is to focus less on price predictions and more on habits and skills. Treat daily mining as a reminder to learn one small thing about crypto each week, from how a non‑custodial wallet works to what KYC actually checks for.
That kind of approach turns the app into a gentle training partner rather than a lottery ticket. You’re using Pi to build familiarity with addresses, transactions, and basic record‑keeping, which will help whether you eventually move into Bitcoin, stablecoins, or keep your circle small with just Pi and a few other projects. And because India’s tax approach is already clear, you can plan ahead instead of being caught off guard later.
The key question for each user becomes simple: if a free app can help you practice the behaviours you’ll need for the future of money, does that already make it worthwhile, even before you know what each Pi might trade for?
Missed Bitcoin to Meaningful Starts
For many Indian readers, the story of crypto has felt like a series of missed chances: Bitcoin was unknown, then it was expensive, then it was taxed and tightly watched. Pi offers a different starting point. You’re not asked to bet your savings. You’re asked for time, consistency and a bit of curiosity, in a network that already counts over 60 million engaged users and millions of verified, migrating accounts.
Taken together, the facts paint a clear picture. Pi turns a smartphone into a low‑barrier learning and earning tool, the enclosed mainnet phase is building the foundations for real utility, and India’s regulatory stance means any eventual conversion of Pi into other assets will sit within a known, if strict, framework. Even if the token’s long‑term price stays modest, the skills and confidence you gain by using it thoughtfully could make every other crypto decision you take in future more informed and less risky.
In the end, Pi Network works best not as a shortcut to riches, but as a practical way to turn a few seconds on your phone into experience, discipline and a small stake in a very large experiment in digital money, so the only real question is what you decide to do with that opportunity.
