diff --git a/doc/release-notes/release-notes-0.21.1.md b/doc/release-notes/release-notes-0.21.1.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000..d032fa8429263 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/release-notes/release-notes-0.21.1.md @@ -0,0 +1,203 @@ +0.21.1 Release Notes +==================== + +Bitcoin Core version 0.21.1 is now available from: + + + +This minor release includes various bug fixes and performance +improvements, as well as updated translations. + +Please report bugs using the issue tracker at GitHub: + + + +To receive security and update notifications, please subscribe to: + + + +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 Mac) +or `bitcoind`/`bitcoin-qt` (on Linux). + +Upgrading directly from a version of Bitcoin Core that has reached its EOL is +possible, but it might take some time if the data directory needs to be migrated. Old +wallet versions of Bitcoin Core are generally supported. + +Compatibility +============== + +Bitcoin Core is supported and extensively tested on operating systems +using the Linux kernel, macOS 10.12+, and Windows 7 and newer. Bitcoin +Core should also work on most other Unix-like systems but is not as +frequently tested on them. It is not recommended to use Bitcoin Core on +unsupported systems. + +From Bitcoin Core 0.20.0 onwards, macOS versions earlier than 10.12 are no +longer supported. Additionally, Bitcoin Core does not yet change appearance +when macOS "dark mode" is activated. + +Notable changes +=============== + +## Taproot Soft Fork + +Included in this release are the mainnet and testnet activation +parameters for the taproot soft fork (BIP341) which also adds support +for schnorr signatures (BIP340) and tapscript (BIP342). + +If activated, these improvements will allow users of single-signature +scripts, multisignature scripts, and complex contracts to all use +identical-appearing commitments that enhance their privacy and the +fungibility of all bitcoins. Spenders will enjoy lower fees and the +ability to resolve many multisig scripts and complex contracts with the +same efficiency, low fees, and large anonymity set as single-sig users. +Taproot and schnorr also include efficiency improvements for full nodes +such as the ability to batch signature verification. Together, the +improvements lay the groundwork for future potential +upgrades that may improve efficiency, privacy, and fungibility further. + +Activation for taproot is being managed using a variation of BIP9 +versionbits called Speedy Trial (described in BIP341). Taproot's +versionbit is bit 2, and nodes will begin tracking which blocks signal +support for taproot at the beginning of the first retarget period after +taproot’s start date of 24 April 2021. If 90% of blocks within a +2,016-block retarget period (about two weeks) signal support for taproot +prior to the first retarget period beginning after the time of 11 August +2021, the soft fork will be locked in, and taproot will then be active +as of block 709632 (expected in early or mid November). + +Should taproot not be locked in via Speedy Trial activation, it is +expected that a follow-up activation mechanism will be deployed, with +changes to address the reasons the Speedy Trial method failed. + +This release includes the ability to pay taproot addresses, although +payments to such addresses are not secure until taproot activates. +It also includes the ability to relay and mine taproot transactions +after activation. Beyond those two basic capabilities, this release +does not include any code that allows anyone to directly use taproot. +The addition of taproot-related features to Bitcoin Core's wallet is +expected in later releases once taproot activation is assured. + +All users, businesses, and miners are encouraged to upgrade to this +release (or a subsequent compatible release) unless they object to +activation of taproot. If taproot is locked in, then upgrading before +block 709632 is highly recommended to help enforce taproot's new rules +and to avoid the unlikely case of seeing falsely confirmed transactions. + +Miners who want to activate Taproot should preferably use this release +to control their signaling. The `getblocktemplate` RPC results will +automatically be updated to signal once the appropriate start has been +reached and continue signaling until the timeout occurs or taproot +activates. Alternatively, miners may manually start signaling on bit 2 +at any time; if taproot activates, they will need to ensure they update +their nodes before block 709632 or non-upgraded nodes could cause them to mine on +an invalid chain. See the [versionbits +FAQ](https://bitcoincore.org/en/2016/06/08/version-bits-miners-faq/) for +details. + + +For more information about taproot, please see the following resources: + +- Technical specifications + - [BIP340 Schnorr signatures for secp256k1](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0340.mediawiki) + - [BIP341 Taproot: SegWit version 1 spending rules](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0341.mediawiki) + - [BIP342 Validation of Taproot scripts](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0342.mediawiki) + +- Popular articles; + - [Taproot Is Coming: What It Is, and How It Will Benefit Bitcoin](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/taproot-coming-what-it-and-how-it-will-benefit-bitcoin) + - [What do Schnorr Signatures Mean for Bitcoin?](https://academy.binance.com/en/articles/what-do-schnorr-signatures-mean-for-bitcoin) + - [The Schnorr Signature & Taproot Softfork Proposal](https://blog.bitmex.com/the-schnorr-signature-taproot-softfork-proposal/) + +- Development history overview + - [Taproot](https://bitcoinops.org/en/topics/taproot/) + - [Schnorr signatures](https://bitcoinops.org/en/topics/schnorr-signatures/) + - [Tapscript](https://bitcoinops.org/en/topics/tapscript/) + - [Soft fork activation](https://bitcoinops.org/en/topics/soft-fork-activation/) + +- Other + - [Questions and answers related to taproot](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/taproot) + - [Taproot review](https://github.com/ajtowns/taproot-review) + +Updated RPCs +------------ + +- Due to [BIP 350](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0350.mediawiki) + being implemented, behavior for all RPCs that accept addresses is changed when + a native witness version 1 (or higher) is passed. These now require a Bech32m + encoding instead of a Bech32 one, and Bech32m encoding will be used for such + addresses in RPC output as well. No version 1 addresses should be created + for mainnet until consensus rules are adopted that give them meaning + (e.g. through [BIP 341](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0341.mediawiki)). + Once that happens, Bech32m is expected to be used for them, so this shouldn't + affect any production systems, but may be observed on other networks where such + addresses already have meaning (like signet). + +0.21.1 change log +================= + +### Consensus +- #21377 Speedy trial support for versionbits (ajtowns) +- #21686 Speedy trial activation parameters for Taproot (achow101) + +### P2P protocol and network code +- #20852 allow CSubNet of non-IP networks (vasild) +- #21043 Avoid UBSan warning in ProcessMessage(…) (practicalswift) + +### Wallet +- #21166 Introduce DeferredSignatureChecker and have SignatureExtractorClass subclass it (achow101) +- #21083 Avoid requesting fee rates multiple times during coin selection (achow101) + +### RPC and other APIs +- #21201 Disallow sendtoaddress and sendmany when private keys disabled (achow101) + +### Build system +- #21486 link against -lsocket if required for `*ifaddrs` (fanquake) +- #20983 Fix MSVC build after gui#176 (hebasto) + +### Tests and QA +- #21380 Add fuzzing harness for versionbits (ajtowns) +- #20812 fuzz: Bump FuzzedDataProvider.h (MarcoFalke) +- #20740 fuzz: Update FuzzedDataProvider.h from upstream (LLVM) (practicalswift) +- #21446 Update vcpkg checkout commit (sipsorcery) +- #21397 fuzz: Bump FuzzedDataProvider.h (MarcoFalke) +- #21081 Fix the unreachable code at `feature_taproot` (brunoerg) +- #20562 Test that a fully signed tx given to signrawtx is unchanged (achow101) +- #21571 Make sure non-IP peers get discouraged and disconnected (vasild, MarcoFalke) +- #21489 fuzz: cleanups for versionbits fuzzer (ajtowns) + +### Miscellaneous +- #20861 BIP 350: Implement Bech32m and use it for v1+ segwit addresses (sipa) + +### Documentation +- #21384 add signet to bitcoin.conf documentation (jonatack) +- #21342 Remove outdated comment (hebasto) + +Credits +======= + +Thanks to everyone who directly contributed to this release: + +- Aaron Clauson +- Andrew Chow +- Anthony Towns +- Bruno Garcia +- Fabian Jahr +- fanquake +- Hennadii Stepanov +- Jon Atack +- Luke Dashjr +- MarcoFalke +- Pieter Wuille +- practicalswift +- randymcmillan +- Sjors Provoost +- Vasil Dimov +- W. J. van der Laan + +As well as to everyone that helped with translations on +[Transifex](https://www.transifex.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/).