Binance Will Not List Pi Network's Pi Coin, Citing Closed Mainnet, Regulatory Ambiguity, and Centralized Governance

Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange by volume, confirmed it will not list Pi Network's Pi Coin, a decision met with disappointment among the project's large community of

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by volume, has confirmed it will not be listing Pi Network’s Pi Coin at this time. The news comes as a disappointment to the project’s large community of supporters, who had eagerly anticipated the move. However, Binance’s decision highlights the hurdles still faced by Pi Network in its current development stage, specifically in terms of market readiness and regulatory standing.

Why Is Binance Not Listing Pi Network Token Yet?

Despite Pi Network’s considerable user base, Binance applies a rigorous standard due diligence process for all listing candidates. In the case of Pi Network, several potential issues were uncovered, which has led to the listing being postponed.

One central issue is Pi Network’s closed mainnet environment. As the blockchain is not yet fully open or accessible externally, transactions remain confined, and the network’s activity cannot be readily monitored. This lack of transparency is a critical factor for major exchanges like Binance, who need to be able to properly evaluate critical factors like liquidity, network usability, and genuine decentralization.

Without an open and auditable mainnet that can be easily assessed by third parties, major platforms are likely to remain hesitant to proceed with a listing, no matter the size of the community or the project’s popularity.

Another factor is regulatory ambiguity. Pi Network is still in the process of applying for and obtaining the necessary approvals from global financial regulators. Without clear approval or a defined path forward from the relevant regulatory bodies, listing Pi Coin would carry significant risks for Binance.

Already operating in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and subject to scrutiny in various jurisdictions, Binance is known for its谨慎stance when it comes to listing assets that could implicate the exchange in violations of anti-money laundering (AML) or securities laws.

In this case, Pi’s coin’s uncertain regulatory status in key markets like the U.S. or Europe poses a major barrier, especially considering the new reporting requirements and increased scrutiny on crypto firms.

Centralized governance was another factor that likely played a role in Binance’s assessment. Unlike networks such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, which feature a more decentralized governance model with broad community participation in decision-making, Pi Network’s core team retains substantial control over the project’s direction.

This centralized structure stands in contrast to the decentralized principles that many major exchanges, especially Binance, typically prefer to support. A highly centralized project like Pi could be more susceptible to censorship, biases, and potential abuse of power, which aligns less with the ideals of Web3 and major exchanges.

Finally, at present, Pi Coin lacks external market liquidity. It is not yet listed on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and does not have an established, independent price discovery mechanism.

The IOU markets used to trade Pi outside of the mainnet are largely speculative and do not provide the same level of financial and trading activity needed for a sustainable listing on a major exchange. Binance prioritizes assets with verifiable market activity and sufficient liquidity to ensure a stable trading environment and a fair price for traders.

Listing an asset without these characteristics at this stage would expose the exchange to considerable financial risk and potentially traders to extreme price volatility or even market manipulation.

While Pi Network claims millions of users acquired through its mobile mining app, these user numbers alone do not satisfy Binance’s comprehensive listing criteria. To be considered for listing, a project must meet several technical, financial, and legal requirements.

These criteria include the functionality and maturity of the underlying blockchain technology, the project’s economic model and tokenomics, the team’s experience and expertise, and the project’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where Binance operates.

In addition to these standard listing criteria, Binance is known for applying a strong risk appetite and a long-term vision when making its listing decisions. The exchange also takes into account the broader trends and developments in the crypto industry, as well as the preferences of its large user community.

As of March 26/27, 2025, prices for Pi Network IOUs or futures on some smaller exchanges were around $0.7876, reflecting sharp recent declines from highs above $1.2 in early 2025. The widely cited market cap (near $5.3 billion based on a 6.8 billion PI supply) remains largely theoretical without an open, actively traded mainnet coin, making it difficult to assess the true market value of Pi Network at this stage.