The Pi network uses the XLM protocol, but it is not the same as Stellar, btc#ETh.

It is not just copying and pasting the Stellar v19 v20 V23 protocol to upgrade to the pnetwork v19 v20 V23 protocol,
The blockchain technology of Pi Network, "forking" to "independence" is not a simple process.

1. Consensus Mechanism: The most fundamental "independence"
This is the most core and essential part of Pi Network's realization of independence.

· Stellar's consensus: uses SCP (Stellar Consensus Protocol), which is a specific implementation of the Federated Byzantine Agreement (FBA). SCP relies on "Quorum Slices" and "Quorums" to achieve consensus, with nodes voting to elect the network's trust system.

· The consensus of the Pi Network: Although it is also based on the concept of FBA, Pi has undergone a revolutionary transformation by introducing the Security Circles mechanism.

· Key Innovation: The consensus of Pi is not determined by a few specialized nodes, but is collectively participated by each ordinary user by forming their own security circle (composed of 3-5 trusted acquaintances).

· Working Principle: Millions of secure circles around the world are interwoven to form a massive, global trust graph. This graph structure replaces the relatively more traditional node voting mechanism in Stellar SCP, becoming the foundation for consensus in the Pi blockchain.

· Conclusion: Although academically categorized under FBA, the consensus mechanism of Pi has diverged from Stellar SCP in terms of implementation, participation thresholds, and network structure, forming its own system. This is the cornerstone of its independence.

2. Token Economics and Distribution Model: Completely Original
Stellar: XLM was initially distributed through a large-scale airdrop and direct allocation, with its supply and inflation model having undergone multiple adjustments.

· Pi Network: The token model of Pi is completely original.

· Mining Mechanism: Introduces the concept of "mobile device mining" to earn rewards by contributing to the security circle and daily check-ins (clicking the lightning), which is a completely different distribution method from traditional Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS).

· Supply: Its model includes mechanisms such as halving the base mining rate and linking to the number of active users, none of which are related to Stellar.

3. Technical Architecture and Development Roadmap: Independent Evolution After the Fork

· Initial State: The Pi Blockchain's codebase was initially a fork of Stellar Core. This means they have a fully functional blockchain underlying.

· Independent evolution:
The Pi team has made extensive independent developments and modifications based on this to adapt to its unique consensus mechanism and economic model.
· They have their own testnet and mainnet roadmap.
· The operation of its nodes, network communication protocols, etc., may have been optimized and modified to support massive users and secure circle structures.
· The iteration of the version (such as the v23 you mentioned) is the version number of the Pi blockchain itself, which has no corresponding relationship with the version number of Stellar Core (such as Stellar v20.0.0); the two are parallel development lines.

4. Ecology and Objectives: Completely Different
· XLM：
The goal is to become a bridge between traditional currencies and cryptocurrencies for financial institutions and payment systems, focusing on efficient cross-border payments and asset issuance (such as USDC).

· Pi Network:
The goal is to establish a daily cryptocurrency and consumption ecosystem driven by ordinary people, with a greater focus on P2P transactions, applications within the ecosystem (such as DApps, utility payments), and community governance.