Bitcoin Knots version 29.5.knots20260508 is now available from:

  <https://bitcoinknots.org/files/29.x/29.5.knots20260508/>

This release includes various bug fixes and performance improvements. It
includes the long coinbase maturity softfork, as extended in 29.4.3.
[Please read below](#attack-mitigation) for important informed consent on this and upcoming
planned changes.

Please report bugs using the issue tracker at GitHub:

  <https://github.com/bitcoinknots/bitcoin/issues>

To receive security and update notifications, please subscribe to:

  <https://bitcoinknots.org/list/announcements/join/>

How to Upgrade
==============

If you are running an older version, shut it down. Wait until it has completely
shut down (which might take a few minutes in some cases), then run the
installer (on Windows) or just copy over `/Applications/Bitcoin-Qt` (on macOS)
or `bitcoind`/`bitcoin-qt` (on Linux).

Upgrading directly from very old versions of Bitcoin Core or Knots is possible,
but it might take some time if the data directory needs to be migrated. Old
wallet versions of Bitcoin Knots are generally supported.

Compatibility
==============

Bitcoin Knots is supported on operating systems using the Linux kernel, macOS
13+, and Windows 10+. It is not recommended to use Bitcoin Knots on
unsupported systems.

Known Bugs
==========

In various locations, including the GUI's transaction details dialog and the
`"vsize"` result in many RPC results, transaction virtual sizes may not account
for an unusually high number of sigops (ie, as determined by the
`-bytespersigop` policy) or datacarrier penalties (ie, `-datacarriercost`).
This could result in reporting a lower virtual size than is actually used for
mempool or mining purposes.

Due to disruption of the shared Bitcoin Transifex repository, this release
still does not include updated translations, and Bitcoin Knots may be unable
to do so until/unless that is resolved.

Attack Mitigation
=================

Due to attacks from apathetic BLAKE2b incumbents looking to exploit Bitcoin for
profit, the community has decided to extend the current (since 2009) 16-hour
(100 blocks) maturity lock time on newly mined bitcoins up to 350 days, and
possibly make it contingent on actually mining (the attackers are blind hashing
instead of mining).

This release retains the 45-day maturity time deployed in 29.4.2 for blocks
during that epoch (973440-979918), and additionally delays rewards for bitcoins
generated by block 979919 or any later block until RDTS expires (2027
September) for 25920 blocks (about 180 days).

If you are "mining" without running DATUM Gateway yourself, you are NOT
actually mining, and are in fact attacking the network. You should expect to
_never_ get paid any rewards for that going forward. If you wish to mine
properly, set up your own DATUM Gateway and use it for mining. There is
volunteer tech support available on the Knots Discord ⁠#support channel. Or for
basic instructions, see:

  <https://bitcoinknots.org/learn/mining>

Please join and participate in the #⁠⁠strategic Discord channel if you hold any opinion or wish to discuss suggestions/plans on this matter.

  <https://bitcoinknots.org/social/discord>

Notable changes
===============

### Net

- #36665 sock: align exception monitoring between poll() and select() backends
- #36667 net: enforce timeout interval for paused send peers
- knots#400 policy: Keep each dead-branch constant once

### Misc

- #36669 refactor: store positions as a 64 bits integer in flatfiles
- knots#491 Bugfix: AutoFile: Invalidate cached position after failed seeks
- knots#498 fs_helpers: Fix bugs in new file seek/position helpers introduced by Core 29.5
- knots#499 AllocateFileRange: Seek between reads and writes, and keep the stream in sync

### Build

- guix: Prefetch gcrypt sources and boost patches that no longer fetch properly on their own

### Tests

- knots#486 test: Use network byte order for v2onlyclearnet_inbound_v1 addresses

### Doc

- #36377 doc: add 461 (Deterministic ECDSA signatures with low-R grinding) to bips.md

Credits
=======

Thanks to everyone who directly contributed to this release:

- Antoine Poinsot
- fanquake
- Kyle Santiago
- LionThunderFingers
- Luke Dashjr
- Martin Zumsande
- Pieter Wuille
- Sebastian Falbesoner

As well as to the rest of the community for your patience and support as we
mitigate the biggest attack on Bitcoin in history.