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OrbitWatch Editorial★★★★▲

Pi Node 0.6.1 Live: What Do SoloHost, Hermes AI Agent, and Soroban RPC Actually Look Like?

July 13, 2026 at 02:55 AM

On Pi2Day 2026 (6/28), the official team announced new features like SoloHost. We summarized what the official team said would be available in our Pi2Day report. Now that the node software has been updated to 0.6.1, these features have actually appeared in the interface—this article documents what we've seen firsthand.

Pi Node 0.6.1: Automatic Update

This version is automatically pushed; the node software will update itself to 0.6.1 without manual intervention.

The old node software itself could automatically pull the v25 container to run (we documented this in our previous article). 0.6.1 is a separate update, and the two events are not causally related.

New: Optional Soroban RPC service switch

A new switch has been added to the node settings page:

Run the optional blockchain API service   → Existing feature
Run the optional Soroban RPC service      → Newly added

Both are optional, not mandatory to enable.

Soroban is the execution environment for Pi smart contracts (running since V23 went live). This new switch allows node operators to choose whether to simultaneously provide a local Soroban RPC endpoint externally—this is meaningful for developers who want to directly interact with their own nodes, but for general miners, not enabling it has no impact.

Currently, this switch is enabled on our node, but the actual RPC behavior has not yet been further tested.

SoloHost: A Platform for Running Apps on the Node (Early Beta)

SoloHost is the most noteworthy part this time. A banner at the top of the interface clearly states:

SoloHost is in early beta. The experience and functionality may change significantly as the product is being improved.

It's important to remember this positioning—everything seen currently is still subject to significant adjustments.

Operational Architecture (Official Interface Description)

Each SoloHost app runs as an independent sandboxed Docker container. Pi Desktop manages separate compose projects for each app. Ports are by default bound to 127.0.0.1 (local, not externally exposed). Upon uninstallation, the container and volumes are removed together, leaving no data on the computer.

Remote Access

SoloHost includes a Remote Access feature, which runs a container in the background, allowing node operators to connect and manage their nodes via the Pi Browser. Users first need to link their Pi Network account in Remote Access, then open https://solohost.pinet.com in the Pi Browser and log in to operate. However, during actual testing, logging into SoloHost within the Pi Browser consistently got stuck on login verification, so it's not yet confirmed what settings can actually be operated.

Hermes: The Official AI Agent Placed in the SoloHost Directory

This is the most interesting observation this time. In SoloHost's Discover directory, the official team has placed an app called Hermes:

Hermes
by pi  ✓ Pi Core Team  |  Local agent
Status: LISTED IN DIRECTORY, Not yet installed

Official interface description:
"AI agent with a web UI, running locally on your node."

Permissions granted upon installation:
✓ CPU & memory     → Runs sandboxed Docker container on the node
✓ Single TCP port  → Automatically assigns a port, bound to 127.0.0.1
✓ Container storage → Reads and writes to its own data folder
                      No wallet or key access

Several notable details:

Published officially by the Pi Core Team. Not a third-party developer; it's directly placed in the directory by the official team.

Runs locally, not externally exposed. Port bound to 127.0.0.1, not a public endpoint.

No wallet or key access. The official interface explicitly states this limitation, which is part of SoloHost's sandbox mechanism.

We have not installed it yet. However, the interface shows an 'Install' button next to this App, meaning we have only confirmed that 'this app exists in the SoloHost directory and can be installed.' Its actual behavior after installation and running has not yet been verified.

What's Confirmed vs. What's Still Unconfirmed

Confirmed:

  • Pi Node 0.6.1 is live, requiring manual download and installation from the official website.
  • An optional Soroban RPC service switch has been added to node settings.
  • The SoloHost interface has appeared, marked as Early Beta.
  • The official Hermes (AI Agent, running locally) is in the SoloHost directory.
  • The Remote Access feature exists within SoloHost.

Unconfirmed:

  • Actual behavior and performance of Soroban RPC.
  • Actual experience of the Remote Access connection process.
  • Actual functionality and behavior of Hermes after installation.
  • Actual functionality of other apps (official and third-party) in the SoloHost directory.

Further Reading → Pi2Day 2026: Introducing SoloHost, Pi Sign-in, and PiVerify → Node is already running v25, but mainnet is still v24

Data sources: Direct observation of Pi Node 0.6.1 interface, SoloHost Hermes page (2026/7/13). All analyses do not constitute investment advice. OrbitWatch is an independent Pi Network ecosystem observatory and is not affiliated with the official Pi Network.

Key Points

  • •Pi Node 0.6.1 has been released, introducing an optional Soroban RPC service and the SoloHost platform.
  • •SoloHost, currently in early beta, allows running sandboxed Docker apps locally on the node, with the official Hermes AI agent already listed in its directory.
  • •While new features are visible, their full functionality and performance, especially for Soroban RPC and Hermes, are yet to be thoroughly tested and confirmed.