The cryptocurrency market kicked off the year positively, with many top digital assets showing considerable gains. Pi Network’s token (PI) has contributed to this upward trend, albeit with a modest increase.

Investors in PI may be curious about whether a substantial surge is imminent. Thus, we consulted four popular AI chatbots to assess if PI could reach $1 by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

‘Very Unlikely’

According to ChatGPT, the chances of PI, currently around $0.21, soaring to $1 within this timeframe are slim. The model suggests that a threefold increase is necessary, which lacks strong grounds without substantial market demand. It cites weak liquidity and an absence of clear catalysts as significant barriers.

ChatGPT estimates a mere 10-15% likelihood of PI reaching the psychological threshold of $1 before April, with the price expected to hover between $0.30 and $0.50.

Similarly, Grok, another AI integrated into the social media platform X, echoed this sentiment:

“Reaching $1 in Q1 would require a roughly 5x increase from current levels in a very short time, pushing the market cap to over $8 billion. While the crypto markets are volatile, current data and forecasts do not support this.”

Grok highlights several obstacles to a significant price increase, including limited practical applications, low trading volumes, and upcoming token unlockings that could increase selling pressure. It predicts the release of over 1.2 billion coins this year, with approximately 131.7 million tokens unlocking within the next 30 days alone.

PI Token Unlocks, Source: piscan.io

PI Needs the Perfect Storm

In contrast, both Perplexity and Google’s Gemini offered slightly more optimistic views. Perplexity mentioned that PI could potentially reach the $1 mark if a major exchange lists it and if there’s a significant update from Pi Network’s team that enhances its ecosystem.

One potential exchange could be Binance, which was rumored to consider listing PI last year. While over 85% of participants in a community poll supported this, the asset remains absent from the platform.

Gemini also suggested that having backing from a prominent exchange like Binance could propel PI to $1, but noted that significant developments are more likely to happen later in the year.