Bitcoin Core developers have moved version 32.0 into release-candidate testing, with the first candidate v32.0rc1 available since Sep. 14 and a stable release targeted for Oct. 10. The schedule remains a target rather than a confirmed deadline; bugs found during testing could require additional candidates and delay final publication.
The release process began earlier with a translation soft freeze on Aug. 6 and a feature freeze on Aug. 20, after which the version 32 branch accepted only bug fixes. When the branch separated from the main codebase on Sep. 14, development of Bitcoin Core 33 also began on the main branch, allowing contributors to test and repair the upcoming release without stopping work on the next version.
One major performance change allows Bitcoin Core to read database data in parallel while checking blocks, which can shorten validation time. This does not change Bitcoin’s average block interval of roughly 10 minutes or its proof-of-work issuance schedule. Version 32 is node software, not a centrally managed network update, and it introduces no new consensus rule or soft fork.
Four wallet commands will create partially signed Bitcoin transactions using PSBT version 2 by default, while the older format remains available for compatibility. PSBT version 2 changes how transaction information is organized and permits participants to update parts of a transaction without first creating a complete unsigned transaction. The change affects wallet workflows and connected applications, not Bitcoin balances or private keys.
Security fixes address unsafe custom wallet names that could cause commands to run on non-Windows nodes, and unauthenticated HTTP activity that caused heavy memory use. In one cited test, memory use reached about 3.2 gigabytes before the patch and roughly 3 megabytes after the fix. Node operators, wallet providers, exchanges, miners and infrastructure firms are the most relevant users. The release does not change the SEC’s treatment of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products, investor tax rules, or BTC’s legal status.
Separately, financial firms including Anchorage Digital, ARK Invest, BlackRock, Block, Blockstream, Coinbase, Fidelity Digital Assets, Galaxy and Strategy formed the Bitcoin Security Consortium in July with $15 million in pledges over three years. The consortium said it will not control Bitcoin development or take positions on protocol proposals; its initial focus includes long-term security research, including quantum-computing risks.
