Pi Network Preps for Protocol 23: v23.0.1 Ships Ahead of Sept. 3 Mainnet Vote

Pi Network is getting ready for a big update from Stellar. The team is following Stellar’s Protocol 23 timeline closely. Stellar’s upgrade guide shows a Mainnet vote set for September 3, 2025, at 17:00 UTC. This comes after a Testnet reset on August 14 and the launch of stable builds that day.

The newest upstream core build, stellar-core v23.0.1, dropped on August 25. It marks the current “Latest” tag for Protocol 23-compatible setups. This is part of Stellar‘s release process and helps many systems stay in sync. You can check it on GitHub.

Why does this matter for Pi Network? Pi is built around the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP) and uses a Federated Byzantine Agreement model. Pi’s white paper explains how it relies on stellar-core but tweaks it for trust graphs and mobile users. So, upstream changes in Protocol 23 directly impact Pi node operators, app builders, and tools that track data.

Protocol 23 brings key improvements for speed, cheaper smart contracts, and better data handling. It includes several Core Advancement Proposals (CAPs):

• Parallel transaction execution (CAP-0063): Lets validators process multiple Soroban transactions at the same time. This increases CPU power per ledger. See details on Stellar’s announcement.
• State in memory + archival (CAP-0062/0066): Puts live Soroban state in RAM and auto-restores archived items. This reduces disk use and cuts costs.
• Reusable Wasm module cache (CAP-0065): Skips re-parsing and validating modules, lowering fees and delays.
• Unified events (CAP-0067): Makes classic operations send SEP-41-style events. This eases work for indexers and analytics tools.
• Configurable SCP timing (CAP-0070): Gives validators tools to adjust ledger times. It could lead to faster, safer blocks.

These updates are in the v23 release notes and linked to specific CAPs. Teams can review them before the upgrade.

Important dates to note:

• August 14, 2025 — Testnet reset done: All accounts, assets, and contracts were wiped. Teams needed new stable builds for testing.
• September 3, 2025 — Mainnet vote at 17:00 UTC: The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has shared instructions for validators to prepare.
• Latest upstream core: v23.0.1 tag on August 25.

For Pi developers and node operators, now is the time to act. Keep an eye on upstream releases like Core, Horizon, RPC, and SDKs. Read about breaking changes, such as the new TransactionMetaV4 and event unification. These will affect indexers and data analysis.

Test your contract paths with Protocol 23 features in mind, like parallel execution and RAM state. This helps predict changes in costs and speed for Pi apps. Plan your updates around the September 3 vote. If you follow Stellar’s pace, update dependencies quickly.

In short, Protocol 23 focuses on performance. It improves smart-contract runs and standardizes events. Since Pi draws from SCP and stellar-core, this upstream work signals what to expect. The Pi Core Team will share network-specific advice, but staying ahead with Stellar helps. Note: Some news says “v23.01,” but the official tag is v23.0.1 on GitHub.

This upgrade could spark more interest in Pi Coin, as seen in recent speculation linking it to Stellar’s progress. With better efficiency, Pi’s mobile-first blockchain might see smoother operations and wider adoption.