Pi launches products to woo outside developers & firms

Pi Network has launched three products aimed at extending its services beyond its own ecosystem. The releases were announced as part of the group’s Pi2Day update.

The additions are SoloHost, a framework for locally run AI applications and distributed computing; Pi Sign-in, which lets third-party apps and websites use Pi accounts for login; and PiVerify, an identity verification service for external businesses and developers.

Each product is designed to connect Pi’s existing network with outside users and companies. The move expands Pi’s offering from a blockchain-based community platform into infrastructure for computing, authentication, and identity checks.

Local computing

SoloHost is an open framework on Pi Desktop that lets third-party developers build and list applications for local AI use cases. The beta version is now available.

The framework lets users run self-hosted applications on their own computers without setting up servers or Docker environments. Those applications can then be accessed from mobile devices through the SoloHost app in Pi Browser, while data remains on the user’s machine.

The framework includes Hermes, an open-source local AI application that processes tasks directly on the user’s device. The aim is to reduce reliance on cloud infrastructure and keep data local.

SoloHost is also being positioned as a route into distributed computing. Pi plans to introduce a production use case that would allow about 100 Node operators to contribute spare computing resources to complete AI tasks.

That proposal builds on a network of more than 420,000 user-operated Node computers, according to the company. Participating Node operators could be paid by third-party clients in Pi, creating another use for those machines beyond maintaining blockchain infrastructure.

Identity access

Pi Sign-in takes Pi’s account system beyond Pi Browser to third-party websites and desktop applications. The service allows users to sign in with their Pi account rather than create separate login credentials for each service.

For developers, the product is intended to provide access to Pi’s existing user base and verified identity system. It could simplify onboarding and give external platforms a way to authenticate users through Pi.

The sign-in product also links to SoloHost. A user could install an application locally on a desktop machine and then use Pi Sign-in to authenticate another device for remote access to that locally run software.

That means desktop software running through SoloHost can identify the right user and restrict access accordingly. The setup can also support interactions with other parts of Pi’s ecosystem, including wallets.

Verification service

The third release, PiVerify, opens Pi’s identity verification system to outside organisations. The service is aimed at businesses and platforms that need to establish whether users are genuine individuals.

Pi’s verification system has already been used to verify more than 18 million users across more than 200 countries and regions, according to the company. It combines AI and human review in its know-your-customer process.

PiVerify goes beyond document and liveness checks, the company said. It also includes sanction and anti-money laundering screening support, human validator workflows, cross-network comparisons, and support for different regulatory formats.

The service is being pitched to sectors including fintech, Web3, data, and AI. External clients could integrate it into onboarding or payment workflows to reduce fake accounts, duplicate registrations, and Sybil attacks, in which one participant creates multiple identities.

Wider strategy

The releases point to a broader effort by Pi to turn internal tools into services for outside customers. Rather than limiting its products to users already inside its own network, the company is trying to use its existing scale in nodes, user accounts, and identity checks as a commercial proposition for third parties.

That approach places Pi in markets where demand for computing resources, user verification, and account authentication is rising. It also reflects a wider push across the technology sector to build AI-related services closer to end users’ devices, particularly where privacy and infrastructure costs are concerns.

Pi’s identity business is likely to draw particular attention because verification systems with broad international reach are in demand across digital finance and online services. The company claims one of the largest globally distributed verified user bases among crypto-linked platforms.

At the same time, the distributed computing element suggests Pi is seeking additional uses for the network of Node operators built around its blockchain project. If external clients begin paying Node operators for AI-related tasks, that would give Pi a new economic model tied to machine resources rather than solely network participation.

Pi said the latest products are intended to make its services useful both inside and outside its own ecosystem, drawing external developers, businesses, and users into closer contact with its network of verified accounts and user-run machines.