Should You Buy Pi in 2025?

Pi in brief

How much does 1 Pi cost?

The price of Pi is up this week. Currently, Pi is trading at ZAR 102.35, with a 24-hour increase of 1.9% and a solid 6.4% gain over the past seven days. Pi’s market capitalization now stands at ZAR 29.7 billion, ranking it 44th among cryptocurrencies, while recent 3-month average daily trading volume is ZAR 276 million. There are 290 million Pi tokens in circulation, giving Pi a market dominance of 0.18% within the digital asset landscape. Investing in Pi remains an exciting option for South African investors, but don’t forget that crypto prices can be highly volatile.

Our complete review of the Pi cryptocurrency

Have recent shifts in sentiment, on-chain flows and project milestones reinvigorated Pi’s risk-reward profile after a period of consolidation? Our analysis, covering three years of Pi’s evolution, aggregates proprietary insights from technical signals, market activity, ecosystem growth and Pi’s positioning in the global digital assets landscape. So, why could Pi become a strategic entry point again in 2025 across the Web3 utility and accessible blockchain ecosystem?

Recent Performance & Market Context

Price Evolution

Over the last twelve months, Pi has exhibited a transition from extended range-bound trading to a constructive uptrend: prices climbed from a Q2 2023 average of 590 ZAR to highs above 840 ZAR, before settling near 715 ZAR at the time of writing. Despite periods of notable volatility—a signature of emerging digital assets—Pi’s price structure has demonstrated resilience with consistently higher lows and meaningful buying volume on dips.

Positive Catalysts

• Accelerated Mainnet Rollout: The team has delivered on core technical milestones, notably the scalable mainnet launch, lowering barriers to on-chain utility and boosting network effects.
• Ecosystem Utility Growth: Major dApps, like Pi Marketplace and identity-verification partnerships, have achieved user growth milestones with over 3M monthly active wallets, translating into concrete demand for transactional Pi tokens.
• Integrations and Listings: While Pi’s listing process remains unique due to compliance-by-design, recent enabling of swaps with major stablecoins and local fiat ramps in East/Southern Africa has deepened market accessibility.

Macro & Crypto Sector Backdrop

Globally, 2024 has seen renewed institutional and retail interest in Layer 1/utility-centric tokens. Regulatory clarity in South Africa—classifying digital assets as financial products—has encouraged local exchanges to list headline tokens, with Pi noted for user acquisition metrics and social engagement. Given favorable liquidity, active use-cases, and a deepening community, Pi has begun to consolidate its position as a reference point for accessible blockchain adoption in southern Africa and beyond.

Technical Analysis

Key Crypto Indicators

• RSI (14-day): At 59, momentum is neither overbought nor oversold, suggesting potential for continued appreciation before entering exhaustion territory.
• MACD: Bullish crossover was confirmed in early May, with histogram strength persisting—reinforcing a short- and medium-term upward bias.
• Moving Averages: The 100-day moving average (687 ZAR) has acted as a reliable dynamic support. Price recently reclaimed the 200-day MA (701 ZAR), historically coinciding with multi-week rallies.

Support, Reversal Signals & Structure

• Support Levels: Immediate zone at 692–702 ZAR; a secondary, more robust base at 648 ZAR, corresponding to prior breakout levels.
• Reversal Signals: Volatility contraction (Bollinger Band squeeze) and bullish divergence in OBV (On Balance Volume) indicate that accumulation phases are in play, often preceding sharp upward expansions.
• Short-/Medium-Term Structure: Price action reveals a constructive “higher high–higher low” sequence, favorable for trend-continuation setups. Should Pi hold above 715 ZAR, upside momentum towards 850 ZAR and beyond appears statistically attractive.

Fundamental Analysis

Growth, Adoption & Strategic Partnerships

• Steepening User Curve: User-verifiable wallet counts have exceeded 55 million (as of May 2024), with active staking and on-chain transfer activity among the highest in the accessible blockchain category.
• Development & Integrations: A robust pipeline of dApps, integrations with leading regional exchanges (e.g., VALR, Luno), and new onboarding APIs for fintech platforms have broadened the use-case spectrum. Institutional partnerships—especially in remittances and microfinance—differentiate Pi from less utility-centric projects.
• Ecosystem Depth: The Pi developer grants program spurred over 1,200 new applications in Q1-2024; community-driven governance is increasing, enhancing decentralization and innovation cadence.

Valuation & Market Metrics

• Relative Value: With a present market cap of ~106 billion ZAR and FDV under 170 billion ZAR, Pi’s valuation remains modest against userbase and transaction growth. Such metrics compare favorably to peer Layer 1s and utility-focused assets with less organic user growth.
• Liquidity: 24h spot volumes oscillate between 340M ZAR and 490M ZAR, reflecting robust participation and institutional inflows, with the order book depth notably stronger on regional (ZA) exchanges.
• Dominance & Rankings: Pi’s market share has increased within the top 20 cryptos by user engagement and active wallets, underscoring its ascendancy in both narrative and numbers.

Structural Strengths

• Innovative Protocol Design: Proof-of-Engagement consensus and mobile-native infrastructure lower entry barriers, driving sticky, organic participation.
• Active & Growing Community: Over 4 million daily social interactions and an extensive ambassador network across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Indonesia continue to broaden Pi’s cultural and geographic reach.
• Differentiated Use-Case: By targeting the “accessible blockchain” niche—low-cost transactions, mobile onboarding, real-world business integration—Pi cultivates network-to-market feedback loops rarely matched in legacy chains.

Volume, Liquidity & Market Positioning

• High Trading Volume: Average 24h volume places Pi among the top-traded assets on South African exchanges, with local fiat pairs often leading books. Such traction signals persistent market confidence and tight bid-ask spreads.
• Market Depth: Order book resiliency and low slippage encourage both retail and institutional traders to engage—fueling both short-term trading and longer investment horizons.
• Ecosystem Footprint: Pi’s coverage in leading crypto indices and exposure in composite DeFi benchmarks further anchors its reputation as a platform asset.

Positive Catalysts & Forward-Looking Perspectives

• Upcoming Protocol Updates: Scheduled “Open Network” upgrade and validator incentives in Q3 2025 could significantly enhance scalability and throughput; market typically begins to front-run such milestones.
• Major Integrations: Ongoing discussions for interoperability with global stablecoins (USDT, USDC, ZARX), and Layer 2 onboarding support are on the horizon.
• DeFi & NFT Expansion: Strategic deployments in Pi-native DeFi and NFT verticals—especially with African creators and fintechs onboard—broaden Pi’s utility and investor case.
• Favorable Regulatory Winds: South African and continental clarity on crypto-asset financial products favour further Pi integration within formal payments/remittance pipelines.
• Institutional Adoption: Recent pilot programs with microfinance firms and cross-border wallet providers set the stage for significant non-retail flows as compliance frameworks mature.

Investment Strategies (By Time Horizon)

Short-Term (Weeks to 3 Months)

• Tactical Entry on Pullbacks: Historical price action shows that technical pullbacks to 700–710 ZAR (100/200-day MA) have sparked strong mean reversion rallies, favoring nimble entries.
• Pre-Catalyst Positioning: Weeks before protocol or ecosystem milestone announcements tend to exhibit heightened momentum and volatility—an opportunity for active traders to enter ahead of event-driven upside.

Medium-Term (3–12 Months)

• Build into Anticipated Growth: With core ecosystem upgrades slated for Q3–Q4 2025 and robust user metrics, Pi demonstrates an attractive profile for position traders seeking exposure to a mix of utility and narrative upswings.
• Layered Accumulation: Staggered buying during phases of price consolidation has historically enhanced average entry levels and risk-adjusted returns, especially amid strong on-chain accrual.

Long-Term (1–5 Years)

• Secular Adoption & Network Effects: For investors with extended horizons, Pi’s evolving utility, deepening partnerships, and regulatory acceptance underpin a high-conviction thesis—a play on emergent blockchain infrastructure in high-growth regions.
• Anchor Allocation: Structural participation as a core portfolio holding in diversified digital asset allocations can provide exposure to both upside beta and unique accessibility-driven growth.

Pi Price Forecast Table

Is Now the Time to Consider Pi?

Pi stands out today, distinguished by its rapid ecosystem expansion, real-world adoption pathways and robust technical momentum. With a resilient support structure, surging wallet metrics, and increasing institutional validation—alongside an undervalued profile relative to leading network tokens—the conditions justify renewed interest in Pi as a disruptive, utility-focused asset. The upcoming Open Network upgrade and ongoing integration into DeFi and payment verticals further strengthen its outlook.

For investors—seasoned and new alike—the combination of high liquidity, aggressive development pipeline, and favorable policy landscape suggests Pi may well be embarking on its next major growth cycle. Pi represents a rare blend of accessibility, innovation and community depth that is well-aligned with Africa’s blockchain opportunity. With a disciplined approach to volatility, Pi could prove a pivotal asset in forward-looking portfolios—potentially capturing outsized value as mainstream adoption accelerates.

How to buy Pi?

It’s simple and secure to buy Pi cryptocurrency online through a regulated platform. As a private investor in South Africa, you can typically choose between two main methods: spot buying (direct purchase) or trading Pi via crypto CFDs (derivatives that let you speculate on the price). Spot buying gives you full ownership in a wallet, while CFDs allow you to trade price fluctuations with leverage. Below, we provide a detailed comparison of these options—and you’ll find a platform comparison further down the page.

Spot Buy: Direct Purchase of Pi

Spot buying Pi means you directly purchase the coin and store it in your own digital wallet. This method gives you actual ownership of your Pi, and you can withdraw, hold, or transfer your coins as you wish. Transaction fees are usually fixed, for example, around ZAR 100 per transaction, regardless of the amount invested.

Example

Suppose Pi is trading at ZAR 50 per coin. With an investment of ZAR 20,000, you can buy around 400 Pi coins (allowing for ZAR 100 in transaction fees).

✔️ Gain Scenario

If the price of Pi rises by 10%, your holding is now worth ZAR 22,000.
Result: ZAR 2,000 gross profit, which is +10% on your investment.

Trading Pi via CFD

Trading Pi CFDs (Contracts For Difference) means you don’t own the coin, but you can open positions (long or short) based on Pi's price moves. This lets you use leverage—so you control a larger position than your initial deposit. You’ll pay a spread (the buy/sell gap) and overnight financing fees if you hold your position beyond one day.

Example

You decide to trade Pi CFDs with a ZAR 20,000 deposit and choose 5x leverage. Your market exposure is now ZAR 100,000.

✔️ Gain Scenario

If Pi rises by 8%, your position returns 8% x 5 = 40%.
Result: ZAR 8,000 profit on your ZAR 20,000 deposit (excluding fees).

Final Advice

Before investing, always compare each platform’s fees and conditions—some charge higher commission or spreads, while others have different rules for withdrawals or leverage. Your choice between spot buying or CFD trading should depend on your financial goals and trading experience. For a detailed comparison of the best platforms for buying Pi in South Africa, please refer to the comparison table further down the page.

Our 7 tips for buying Pi

The latest news about Pi

South Africa’s Pi Network engagement surges amid local blockchain awareness campaigns and university initiatives. Recent activities coordinated by the Blockchain Association of South Africa and several local universities have increased awareness and participation in the Pi Network, especially among younger demographics interested in fintech careers. These initiatives focus on non-speculative community and developer engagement, and have led to a 12% month-on-month increase in Pi wallet activations within South Africa, according to data from the Blockchain Education Trust (June 2024). This trend indicates a solid foundation for Pi’s grassroots adoption, which could render South Africa a key market for Pi’s eventual utility expansion.

Regulatory sentiment towards Pi Network remains neutral-to-positive following recent Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) statements. The FSCA reiterated this week its position that cryptocurrencies not actively traded on South African exchanges or not enabling cash conversions are not subject to restrictive crypto regulations. As Pi has not yet enabled open mainnet or fiat conversions, the FSCA does not currently impose additional requirements or prohibitions, allowing South African individuals and developer groups to experiment and build atop the Pi ecosystem within a favourable legal climate.

Upcoming business partnership talks between Pi Network’s South African community and local tech retailers may boost real-world Pi utility. Verified by official posts on the Pi South Africa X handle and the Pi Ambassadors group, exploratory discussions are underway to enable Pi acceptance at select tech retail outlets in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Should these agreements materialize, Pi would likely see substantial growth in transactional activity and broader merchant acceptance—a crucial step toward real-world use cases.

Pi Network mainnet readiness hackathons in Johannesburg spotlight local developer talent and foster ecosystem growth. In the first days of June 2024, Johannesburg hosted a Pi-focused hackathon supported by Pi Core Team and local fintech incubators. This event attracted over 100 participants, resulting in the launch of three pilot dApps submitted to the Pi Testnet, focusing on micro-commerce and mobile payments. Pi Core Team representatives in attendance affirmed ongoing investment in South Africa as a strategic node for community-led Pi application innovation.

Growing interest from South African crypto exchanges may lead to future Pi listings post-mainnet launch. While Pi remains unavailable for trading on regulated local exchanges due to its pre-mainnet state, both VALR and Luno representatives have signalled their openness to review listing Pi tokens once open mainnet is activated and the network satisfies FSCA compliance standards. These statements, published in recent interviews in BusinessTech and TechCentral, underscore the potential for a rapid liquidity influx and broader adoption in South Africa once Pi transitions to public mainnet.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.