2026-08-17
SmartContract in Pi SDK: Officially Released but Undocumented Feature
In the dev-questions channel of the Pi Network Developer Discord, a developer reported a specific technical issue: their application called Pi.SmartContract.submitTransaction(unsignedXdr) in the Testnet Sandbox environment, the request reached the native bridge, but returned "App unauthorized to call this message". The official contact's reply was: smart contract functionality is not yet finalized, currently for internal use only, and further announcements will be made when there is more news. OrbitWatch reviewed the public file sdk.minepi.com/pi-sdk.js, which Pi Browser automatically loads and executes, confirming the actual status of this feature. This is Not a Developer-Invented Method Name Upon reviewing the published SDK source code, Pi.SmartContract indeed exists and its structure is quite complete: Provides two methods: submitTransaction() and pollTransaction() Internal message type is clearly named @pi:app:sdk:submit_smart_contract_transaction, consistent with the SDK's existing internal communication naming rules Two submodules, Subscription and NativeToken, have been encapsulated Testnet contract addresses are hardcoded in the code as default values (TESTNET_SUBSCRIPTION_CONTRACT_ADDRESS, TESTNET_PI_SAC_CONTRACT_ADDRESS) The Subscription module corresponds to the PiRC2 subscription contract that OrbitWatch previously reviewed—that contract is not just a source code example on GitHub, but has already been deployed to Testnet and encapsulated within the officially released SDK. Why General Developers Can't See This Feature Using Official Tutorials The source code contains a version judgment logic: Currently, the tutorial examples in the official public documentation (pi-platform-docs) all use Pi.init({ version: "2.0" }). This means that even if developers follow the official documentation completely, they will not get the SmartContract object—because the documentation has never taught them to pass version: "3.0". Testnet Connection Parameters The SDK source code also includes the default connection settings for the SmartContract service: These two parameters were previously unavailable in the official documentation but are indeed present in the published SDK file. What This Means Putting this discovery together with previous observations: Official progress on Soroban smart contracts is more mature than what public documentation presents—with Testnet deployment, encapsulation in the officially released SDK, and a version control mechanism However, these advancements are currently intentionally not written into public documentation and are not yet open for third-party applications to call The official response is consistent with the state presented in the code: the functionality exists, but it is "not finalized" This does not mean developers can start integrating smart contracts now. Third-party applications calling this functionality are currently confirmed to be blocked by unauthorized. This log records "what the official team has achieved so far," not an operational guide. Explanation of the Verification Method The information above comes from inspecting sdk.minepi.com/pi-sdk.js—this is a public file that any webpage loading the Pi SDK automatically downloads and executes. Viewing the downloaded source code using browser developer tools is a public, common technical practice and does not involve bypassing any protection mechanisms or unauthorized access. RPC addresses and passphrases are connection setting information, not confidential data that can be used to steal assets or forge transactions. Further Reading Pi Network Smart Contract Status: What Can Developers Actually Do After V23? Pi Ecosystem Developer Status: How Far Between Investment and Return? Data Source: Pi Network Developer Discord (public discussions in dev-questions channel), sdk.minepi.com/pi-sdk.js (officially published SDK file, directly observed on 2026/8/16). All analyses do not constitute investment advice. OrbitWatch is an independent Pi Network ecosystem observatory, not affiliated with Pi Network official.
- •Pi Network's SDK contains an undocumented `Pi.SmartContract` module with methods like `submitTransaction`, confirmed by inspecting the public `pi-sdk.js` file.
- •This smart contract functionality is enabled by initializing the SDK with `version: "3.0"`, but official documentation still instructs developers to use `version: "2.0"`, effectively hiding the feature.
Aug 17, 06:44 AM
Read Full Analysis →App Studio Creation Pricing to Adjust: Two-Tiered Fees from 8/24, AI Generation Costs No Longer Fully Subsidized
The official team published a blog on 8/17, announcing that Pi App Studio will adjust its pricing model for application creation and editing starting from August 24. What is App Studio? App Studio is an AI-powered development tool provided by Pi's official team, enabling creators, regardless of their technical background, to transform ideas into applications publishable on the Pi ecosystem through a guided process. Over 9,000 applications have already been built using App Studio. Current Pricing vs. Pricing After 8/24 Currently: Creating an application costs 0.25 Pi, and editing it once costs 0.25 Pi. The official team states that this price is significantly lower than the actual AI service costs, with the difference being subsidized by Pi Network. Starting 8/24, a two-tiered system will be implemented: How Eligibility is Determined The official team explains that this adjustment will initially use a set of early eligibility criteria, applied to existing data, to determine which creators can continue to receive the subsidized rate. These criteria may be adjusted as App Studio continues to evolve. Eligibility review is not a one-time event. The official team states that eligibility will be re-evaluated periodically based on newly generated data—meaning that creators who do not initially qualify for the subsidized rate may still become eligible in subsequent reviews if their applications accumulate more real users. Official Rationale The official team explains that App Studio initially fully subsidized all creation and editing to allow creators to experiment with a low barrier to entry, while also enabling the platform to observe and evaluate application creation patterns. However, not every application created through App Studio ultimately becomes a product used by people. The official team states that continuing to equally subsidize all creation activities would lead to significant resource waste, including funding a large number of applications used only for testing, experimentation, or even spamming. The new approach aims to more effectively direct resources towards creators who are genuinely building useful applications. Official Recommendations for Creators Before 8/24 Improve the utility, quality, or usability of existing applications Share applications with other Pioneers who might find them useful Collect feedback from real users and improve based on it Continue developing applications that solve real problems and provide value Potential Impact on Small Creators This adjustment directly links 'continued subsidy' with 'an application's ability to attract real users.' For teams with existing resources to invest in marketing and promotion, accumulating real users is relatively easier. However, for individual creators who simply want to experiment and lack promotion resources, this means they might face the standard rate if their application hasn't yet gained visibility or accumulated users. The official team has not provided further details on the specific number for the 'sufficient number of real users' threshold, and no public quantitative standards have been found yet. Further Reading Pi Node 0.6.2 Released: SoloHost New Features and First Distributed Computing Test Pi Ecosystem Developer Landscape: How Far Between Investment and Feedback? Data Source: Pi Network Official Blog (minepi.com/blog/app-studio-pricing/, published 2026/8/17). All analysis does not constitute investment advice. OrbitWatch is an independent Pi Network ecosystem observatory and is not affiliated with the official Pi Network team.
- •Pi App Studio will implement a two-tiered pricing model for app creation and editing starting August 24, ending the full subsidy for AI generation costs.
- •The new system includes a standard rate (closer to actual AI service costs) and a subsidized rate (current price) for applications with a "sufficient number of real users" and demonstrated utility.
Aug 17, 04:05 PM
Read Full Analysis →