Pi founder Cheng Chengdiao delivered a speech today at Consensus 2026 Miami during the panel discussion titled “Aligning Utility in Web3, AI, and Blockchain.”

Dr. Cheng shared how Pi’s blockchain infrastructure, identity verification, and global participation network help power utility-driven products and businesses in the AI era.

Her remarks were based on a core challenge in the cryptocurrency industry: the frequent misalignment between token design and genuine innovation. Although tokens in the industry are often primarily used as fundraising tools or quick exit strategies, Dr. Cheng discussed Pi’s approach to viewing tokens as tools to support growth, engagement, and long-term utility.

Pi’s approach to ecosystem tokens and launch mechanisms focuses on tokens used for user acquisition, and it integrates token design into the product innovation process. By using tokens to help products attract real users—who can participate, provide feedback, and use these tokens in real product experiences—this approach connects token design more directly with utility and product development.

More broadly, Dr. Cheng’s speech sparked discussions on how blockchain can help shape business models in the AI era, financial literacy, ownership, and socio-economic participation. As AI lowers the barriers to building, the focus shifts to what’s harder to replicate: genuine users, real engagement, and large-scale trustworthy human input.$PI