Bitcoin Core 32.0 entered release-candidate testing on September 14, with developers targeting an October 10 stable release. The update speeds up block validation by up to three times, adds a new fee-estimation method, and patches a command-execution flaw that has existed since version 24.0.
Bitcoin Core 32.0 tagged its first release candidate on September 14 and developers are aiming for an October 10 stable release. The software, which powers most Bitcoin full nodes, leaves consensus rules untouched but reworks how nodes validate blocks and closes several security holes.
Block validation gets faster
The software now fetches transaction inputs in parallel during block validation instead of processing them one at a time. In testing, this produced up to three times faster initial block downloads, the process a new node uses to sync with the entire blockchain from scratch. A faster sync makes it easier for new participants to run a full node.
Version 32.0 also introduces a mempool-based fee-estimation method that supplements the existing model. By reading what currently sits in the mempool, the waiting room for unconfirmed transactions, the software can suggest lower fees when the network is less congested.
Security patches close two flaws
The update resolves a command-execution vulnerability in the walletnotify feature that has been present since version 24.0 on non-Windows systems. The flaw let crafted wallet names trigger commands on a node's computer when an authenticated user could create wallets and walletnotify was configured to run commands on transactions.
A separate fix addresses memory exhaustion in the new HTTP server. Contributor Matthew Zipkin said he found the flaw while auditing the server with Kimi K3, an AI model also used by the Bitcoin Red Team to search for vulnerabilities. During review, another contributor found that unauthenticated requests could also cause memory growth; after the patch was revised, 16 unauthenticated connections caused about 3 MB of memory growth over 90 seconds, compared with 3.2 GB before. The patch merged on September 5.
Developers face a breaking change
Four RPC commands now default to PSBT version 2, the format wallets and signing devices use to exchange partially signed transactions, though applications can still request the older version. Wallet developers, exchanges, and custody providers that rely on Bitcoin Core's RPC interface should test against the release candidate now rather than adjust after the October 10 release.
Sources: Crypto Briefing, Decrypt
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