The Protocol 28 schedule is now official. Pi Testnet has upgraded to Protocol 28 since September 25 after Protocol 27 was completed on Mainnet. For Mainnet, the schedule is Node Operator upgrade deadline on October 13, 2026 and Protocol 28 Mainnet launch on October 16, 2026. Nodes that do not update risk losing connection to the network.

What is inside Protocol 28? There are three main improvements. First, improved handling of delayed transaction data. Second, ability for developers to upgrade groups of smart contracts at once, not one by one. Third, a safer method for changing stored data as applications evolve.

On the partnership side, Pi Network announced a collaboration with Open Standard, the company behind the new stablecoin Open USD or OUSD. OUSD officially went live on September 30, 2026 and is backed by more than 200 partners including Visa, Google, Stripe, Mastercard, BlackRock, and Coinbase. The stablecoin runs on Base, Ethereum, Solana, and Tempo networks. Pi said it will explore reward programs for Pioneers and OUSD utility in the Pi ecosystem, but implementation details have not yet been announced.

For KYC and migration, Pi recorded major progress in September. More than 417,000 users previously flagged as duplicates have been allowed to resume KYC. Around 497,000 Fast-Track wallets that failed to claim migration results due to lack of gas fees have also been fixed.

What about PI price today?

As of October 4-5, 2026, PI is trading in the range of 0.0883 dollars to 0.0905 dollars with a daily decline of about 0.59 percent. Trading volume is still thin around 5 to 6 million dollars, so price movement is still vulnerable to volatility.

Key levels traders are watching:

– Important support at 0.086 dollars. As long as it holds above this, PI still has a chance for consolidation and testing the 0.093 dollar area.

– Resistance in the area of 0.092 to 0.095 dollars. If broken with large volume, the chance to test 0.10 dollars opens up.

Short-term condition is still considered neutral to cautious. Today’s weakness does not show a major fundamental change, more due to quiet market and minimal direct catalyst.

Outlook for this month:

– October 1 to 7: 0.0850 to 0.0975 dollars

– October 8 to 14: 0.0812 to 0.1003 dollars, ahead of node deadline October 13

– October 15 to 21: 0.0812 to 0.1100 dollars, Protocol 28 upgrade lands October 16

– October 22 to 31: 0.0700 to 0.1100 dollars, depending on Fed decision October 28

In conclusion, October will be a decisive month. The market will see whether the October 16 upgrade is actually followed by increased application activity and real transactions, not just price expectations.