Pi Network has secured a major presence at Consensus 2026 in Miami, where its two co-founders will take the stage as featured speakers. Dr. Chengdiao Fan and Nicolas Kokkalis are scheduled to appear at the Convergence Stage during the event, which runs from May 5 to 7. This marks the project’s highest-profile engagement within the mainstream crypto industry, coinciding with the imminent activation of Protocol 23 on May 11.
Dr. Fan will deliver a talk on May 6, focusing on the convergence of Web3, artificial intelligence, and blockchain for real-world utility. The following day, Kokkalis will join a panel titled “How to Prove You’re Human in an AI World (Without Doxing Yourself),” addressing a critical challenge in an era where AI-generated identities are proliferating. The event is expected to attract over 20,000 participants, including institutional investors, developers, and policymakers.
The Pi Core Team announced on April 28 that more than 526 million human KYC validation tasks have been completed, involving over 18 million verified users. This infrastructure positions Pi as one of the largest proof-of-personhood networks in the crypto space, directly competing with projects like Worldcoin and Humanity Protocol. Dr. Fan’s presentation will highlight how this verified identity layer can address pressing AI governance issues.
Protocol 22.1 ended on April 27, disconnecting non-compliant nodes and setting the stage for Protocol 23. This upgrade will transform Pi from a simple mobile mining network into a programmable blockchain with full smart contract capabilities. The sequence of events—the Consensus appearances followed by the Protocol 23 activation just four days later—creates a pivotal moment for the project. Leading up to the conference, PI’s price rose over 5% on April 29, reflecting trader optimism, though previous conference-driven rallies have often led to selloffs. The substance of Protocol 23 may determine whether this pattern changes.