Protocol Upgraded: v21 → v22

Two days ago, we published an article explaining something that confused a lot of Pioneers: node software was already running v22, but the Block Explorer still showed protocol_version as 21. That's actually normal behavior under the Stellar Consensus Protocol — nodes need to reach consensus before the on-chain version switches. This morning, OrbitWatch's Horizon API monitoring detected the switch. The on-chain protocol_version has officially changed to 22. You can verify this directly on the Block Explorer: 👉 blockexplorer.minepi.com This isn't a rumor from a community group. It's a publicly verifiable fact from on-chain data. OrbitWatch's protocol version display updated automatically the moment we detected the change.

What Does This Mean? PiRC1 is now fully in effect — technically speaking. PiRC1, Pi Network's token design standard, was announced alongside v22. But strictly speaking, it only becomes fully enforceable at the protocol level once the on-chain version switch is confirmed. As of today, any ecosystem project that wants to issue tokens on Pi must comply with PiRC1's core requirements: products must exist before tokens can be issued, and funds must go into a liquidity pool rather than directly to the project team. Honestly, this is good news for serious builders in the ecosystem. The crypto world has seen too many projects that raise money first and disappear later. PiRC1 closes that door at the protocol level. V23 now has no remaining technical blockers. V22 is the direct prerequisite for V23 — that dependency is explicitly stated in the official roadmap. With the on-chain switch confirmed, the May 11 V23 smart contract upgrade can proceed on schedule. There are no incomplete technical dependencies standing in the way.

What to Watch Between V22 and V23 OrbitWatch will be tracking a few key indicators over the next 12 days: Will on-chain activity change? V22 supports a broader range of transaction types. We'll be watching whether operation counts and large transfer volumes show any meaningful shift in the coming days. Will the first PiRC1-compliant projects appear? With PiRC1 now in effect, ecosystem projects need to start operating under the new standard. We'll monitor GitHub activity for any projects moving toward compliance. When will the official V23 announcement drop? Based on past patterns, the Pi Core Team typically publishes detailed upgrade instructions one to two weeks before the deadline. Our blog monitoring will catch that announcement the moment it goes live.

A Quick Note When we wrote yesterday's article — explaining why nodes were on v22 but the chain still showed v21 — we genuinely didn't know when the switch would happen. It turned out to be the next morning. That's exactly what OrbitWatch is here for: no speculation, no rumors, just on-chain data speaking for itself. The V23 countdown continues. See you on May 11.

Data sources: Pi Network Horizon API (api.mainnet.minepi.com), Pi Network Block Explorer. Nothing in this article constitutes financial or investment advice. OrbitWatch is an independent Pi Network ecosystem tracker with no affiliation to Pi Network or Pi Core Team.

Further Reading → Nodes Upgraded to v22, But On-Chain Still Shows v21 — Is That Normal?