Pi (PI) Surges 33%, Outpacing Bitcoin and Leading the Market

▲ Pi Network (PI) / Source: X ©

Pi (PI) staged an explosive rally far outpacing the broader cryptocurrency market, driven by the strong individual catalyst of its mainnet upgrade deadline. Bolstered by favorable macroeconomic conditions, the token swiftly broke above the $0.20 level, with whether it can maintain price support after the event’s completion emerging as a key factor for the next leg of the rally.

According to CoinMarketCap on Feb. 15 (local time), PI surged 33.13% over the past 24 hours to close at $0.2032. This gain overwhelmingly outpaced the broader crypto market’s 2.73% rise and Bitcoin’s (BTC) 2.63% increase during the same period, indicating strong internal buying momentum within the Pi Network ecosystem.

The decisive driver behind the surge was the mandatory mainnet upgrade deadline set for Feb. 15, 2026. Pi Network required all node operators to update to version 19.6 to maintain mainnet connectivity. This time-sensitive catalyst—aimed at enhancing security, scalability, and performance optimization—reportedly sparked strong buying sentiment and urgency among network participants. The fact that the upgrade represents a fundamental improvement directly tied to network development, rather than mere speculative hype, further strengthened investor confidence.

A favorable macroeconomic backdrop also added fuel to the rally. The U.S. January Consumer Price Index rose 2.4%, below market expectations of 2.5%, rekindling hopes of potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. This development provided more than a 3% boost across risk assets, including cryptocurrencies. While PI benefited from this relief rally, its outsized gains clearly indicate that the mainnet upgrade catalyst served as the primary engine of the surge.

Experts maintain a cautiously bullish outlook in the short term. With the key upgrade deadline now passed, there is a possibility of short-term profit-taking as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains elevated. If PI manages to hold firmly above the $0.18 level over the next 48 hours, it could attempt to break through the psychological resistance at $0.20. However, failure to defend $0.18 may expose the price to a pullback toward key support levels around $0.15 or $0.145.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for investment reference purposes only and we assume no responsibility for any investment losses arising from its use. The information herein should be interpreted for informational purposes only.