Mainnet Protocol Upgraded: From v22 to v23
May 22, 2026 at 12:15 PM
The Mainnet protocol version has finally been upgraded from v22 to v23, which is quite important news for us veteran Pioneers. I recall we were just discussing a few days ago how the Testnet was already on v23 while the Mainnet was still stuck on v22. Well, now the Mainnet has caught up, and it feels like the Pi Core Team has taken another step forward.
OrbitWatch's Horizon API monitoring detected a switch in on-chain protocol_version from 22 to 23 on May 22nd. You can verify this directly in Block Explorer: Block Explorer
This kind of protocol upgrade is essentially an update to the underlying technology. While we, as regular Pioneers, might not directly feel any drastic changes, it signifies that the Pi Network's stability, security, or future functionalities are being strengthened. I believe this also paves the way for the upcoming v24, which is expected to launch on May 28th, allowing the entire ecosystem to evolve more smoothly.
Next, we look forward to when the project team will open up functionalities related to PiRC1, PiRC2, and smart contracts, allowing ecosystem developers to participate as well.
Further Reading
Key Points
- β’On-chain protocol_version has been confirmed to have switched to 23 (detected by OrbitWatch on 5/22)
- β’V23 brings full smart contract support, Pi Launchpad mainnet functionality is expected to be available
- β’Next milestone: V24 deadline 5/28, aiming to enhance network performance