In a recent tweet from BSC News, they highlighted an exciting development in the crypto world: Pi Network's co-founder, Chengdiao Fan, taking the stage at TOKEN2049 in Singapore. The event, which drew over 20,000 attendees, featured Fan's keynote on "Crypto's Future: From Liquidity to Utility - Web3 Pathways to Innovation." If you're into meme tokens or broader blockchain trends, this talk offers some real alpha on how projects like Pi are evolving beyond hype to build genuine value. Let's break down the key points from her speech, as covered in the BSC News article.
The Big Picture: AI's Impact on Wealth Distribution
Fan kicked things off by tackling a massive question: With AI making human labor less essential, how do we fairly distribute wealth in society? Think about it—AI is automating jobs left and right, from writing code to creating art. Fan sees blockchain not just as a tech for trading tokens, but as a "societal distribution and redistribution system." It's scalable, accessible to anyone with a phone, and fully auditable, making it perfect for an AI-driven future.
This resonates in the meme token space, where speculation often drives prices, but sustainability comes from utility. Pi Network, with its mobile mining app launched back in 2019, aims to make crypto accessible to the masses, much like how meme coins go viral through community hype.
Shifting Focus: From Speculation to Real Utility
One of the core messages was moving crypto away from pure liquidity plays—like endless trading and memecoin pumps—to building actual utility. Fan outlined two main paths:
Migrating Existing Production On-Chain: This means bringing real-world assets (RWAs) like property or stablecoins onto the blockchain. Pi's built-in Know Your Customer (KYC) process has already verified 15 million of its 16 million mainnet users, solving the big "who owns what" problem. It's a step toward integrating crypto with everyday finance, something that could stabilize volatile meme ecosystems.
Creating New Production On-Chain: Here, Pi leverages its massive 60 million engaged users as a testing ground for new ideas. Fan emphasized the importance of real user feedback for product development—echoing how meme tokens thrive on community input. By combining this with AI, Pi is enabling entirely new on-chain businesses.
She warned that we're in a "short historical window" where AI tech is advancing fast, but apps are still catching up. Miss it, and projects might get left behind, paying big to migrate later.
Exciting Announcements: New Tools for Builders and Users
The speech wasn't just theory—Fan dropped some major updates on Pi Network's progress:
Open Mainnet Launch: Pi went live in February 2025, opening up the network for broader participation and real-world use.
App Studio Platform: This is a game-changer for non-techies. It's a user-friendly tool that lets anyone build and run AI-powered apps on Pi's blockchain. No need for servers or coding expertise—you can create online businesses that tap into AI without traditional jobs. Imagine meme token creators using this to build community-driven dApps quickly.
DeFi Tools on Testnet: Pi introduced a decentralized exchange (PiEx), automated market makers (AMM), and liquidity pools. These are now available for testing by millions of users, aiming to boost financial literacy. In a world of meme coin rugs and pumps, tools like these could help shift toward more educated, utility-based trading.
Fan also called out a challenge in DeFi: Incentives often push builders toward quick wins like memecoins instead of long-term products. "Value creation is always harder than value extraction," she said, highlighting the need for perseverance in innovation.
Why This Matters for Meme Token Enthusiasts
While Pi Network isn't a traditional meme token, its community-driven approach and viral growth mirror the meme coin phenomenon. With over 60 million users mining Pi on their phones, it's democratizing crypto in a way that could inspire meme projects to add real utility. Fan's vision of AI agents simplifying blockchain interactions could make meme ecosystems more accessible, decentralizing control and opening doors for everyday users to participate beyond just holding tokens.
If you're tracking crypto trends, check out the full keynote on YouTube or dive deeper into Pi's tools via BSC News. As the space evolves, blending AI with blockchain might just be the next big wave—keeping meme tokens relevant in a utility-focused future. Stay tuned for more insights here at Meme Insider!