Pi Network investors tend to show a strong interest in altcoins like XRP and XLM. This interest is evident in community discussions and personal interpretations. As a result, these three altcoins are often grouped together into a shared investment basket.

But what’s behind this connection? This article explores the thread linking these three assets—a fascinating correlation in the crypto space.

Why Do Pioneers Care About Both XLM and XRP?

According to a previous report from BeInCrypto, XRP (by Ripple) and XLM (Stellar Lumens) have maintained a strong price correlation over the years, with a high correlation coefficient.

A historical reason behind this correlation lies in their shared founder: Jed McCaleb. When McCaleb left Ripple in 2014, he went on to launch the Stellar Development Foundation.

While XRP Ledger runs on the Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA), Stellar operates on the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP). Both systems share a similar technological foundation. Neither uses Proof-of-Work (PoW), allowing for fast speeds and low transaction costs.

When Pi Network was launched in 2019, its founders—Nicolas Kokkalis, Chengdiao Fan, and Vincent McPhillip—created a cryptocurrency that was accessible to the masses. Unlike Bitcoin, it didn’t require powerful hardware to mine. Instead, it adopted the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP).

That means all three altcoins share a technological solution born from the same conceptual mind.

“To truly understand Pi Network, you must first understand Stellar. That’s because Pi Network’s blockchain is built on Stellar Core, and it relies on Stellar’s infrastructure for major blockchain updates,” Dr. Altcoin, a Pi supporter, said.

Recently, Stellar announced a new update called Protocol 23. Many Pioneers believe it will significantly affect the Pi ecosystem.

“When Pi Network adopts the latest Stellar protocol, Web3 integration will be fully unlocked. DApps built with the AI App Studio will run on a truly decentralized network. Pioneers will be able to register their .pi domains and bring their apps into the Web3 world — easily and seamlessly,” Dr. Altcoin added.

Stanford Roots, Made in the USA, and Vision Alignment

Another interesting connection is that the leadership of both Pi Network and Stellar share an alma mater—Stanford University. The three founding members of Pi and David Mazières, the scientist behind SCP, came from Stanford.

In addition, all three altcoins are considered “Made in the USA,” and each has a market capitalization above $2 billion. In 2025, the US crypto regulatory environment improved significantly under President Trump’s leadership, which has helped give these altcoins a psychological advantage in the market.

Moreover, all three projects aim to promote global financial access, even if they take different approaches. XRP and XLM focus on low-cost cross-border payments. Meanwhile, Pi seeks to bring crypto to the masses through mobile mining.

Because of these shared traits, many Pi investors have also shown interest in XLM and XRP, forming a common user base across all three projects.

However, the price action of the three tokens does not reflect their ideological alignment. While XRP and XLM continue showing a strong price correlation, Pi’s token has steadily declined.