Some comparisons are uncomfortable, especially when they involve communities that are passionate about their respective blockchain projects. As someone who has been involved with both Pi Network and Hive since mid-2021, I understand why many Pioneers and Hiveans prefer not to draw direct comparisons.
I suspect many pioneers, particularly the GCV fans, would easily dismiss Hive as insignificant compared to their pet chain. I observe that on Pi’s mobile app, any posts related to Hive will be deleted immediately. I once made a test post to see if other contents are allowed, but in a matter of minutes, a moderator deleted my post.
On a Pi network community on Reddit, I shared a series of Pi-related articles and used #hive; for a time, they allowed it. Now, the moderators don’t want to see a link directing a Redditor outside of the community. At least, here on Hive, though many don’t like Pi, at least no one can delete Pi-related articles.
As for me, the contrast between these two chains is unavoidable—not to diminish either one, but to better understand them. They were my first windows into the world of crypto, and each offers something unique. In this post, I share my observations—not as a crypto expert, but as a regular user who's simply trying to make sense of what these platforms offer, where they shine, and what they still lack.
Pi's Strengths
The strongest advantage of Pi Network in my eyes is the simplicity of its mobile app, which Hive lacks. After six years, the Pi Network boasts 60 million engaged pioneers. Though it is not easy to precisely identify the exact number of pioneers and to define the meaning of “engagement,” still, such a number is huge, something that the other chains cannot claim.
When it comes to real-world utilities of the token, Pi Network claims that many businesses in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia are using the token. In the case of Hive, I don’t know of any other country except the businesses in Sucre, Venezuela. However, a large number of users on Hive are from India and Nigeria, which I think these three countries share something in common. They find in Hive, especially its stablecoin, a “way to address the unique economic and financial problems in their countries such as currency devaluation, corruption, and high unemployment rates” (Source).
Market Price
Comparing the current market price of the tokens, Pi is now traded at $0.59 while HIVE is at $0.2150. For many, the market price of the token and the traded volume are enough to identify which is superior between the two. At least, Pi, during its early days of trading in crypto exchanges, joined the top 15 most traded tokens with huge volume, something that the Hive network aspires to.
Hive's Advantage
The biggest advantage of Hive over Pi is the multiple ways to earn crypto. In the case of Pi, you can earn the token by clicking the lightning icon every 24 hours. Speculating on the price of Pi in crypto exchanges carries a risk, for unlike in mobile mining, you only spend your time, but in trading, you have to use real fiat money.
In Hive’s case, you can earn the token by uploading a video on 3Speak, sharing a photo on Threads, and publishing your story on PeakD. If you are a gamer, you can earn SPS and NFT cards by playing Splinterlands. By staking the token, you can earn curation rewards. Exploring the Hive Engine and the many communities on Hive, you can also earn tokens like LEO, POB, BEE, and CENT. If you want to earn passive income, you can delegate HIVE and other tokens to specific accounts, or you can add liquidity to your preferred pool. So all in all, you have at least eight different ways to earn crypto on Hive.
Of course, other features of Hive can be included that make it superior to Pi, such as the feeless transaction, true decentralization and censorship resistance, and data ownership. However, it will take time for any crypto newbie to understand and appreciate all of these.