Bitcoin Core 29.0 Released

Users are encouraged to upgrade from older versions by shutting down their current version and then either running the installer on Windows or copying over the application files on macOS and Linux. This version maintains support for old wallet versions and is compatible with operating systems using Linux Kernel 3.17+, macOS 13+, and Windows 10+. However, it's noted that Bitcoin Core may not perform as expected on unsupported systems.

A notable change in this release is the removal of UPnP support, advising users who wish to automatically open ports to use the -natpmp option for PCP or NAT-PMP router support instead. Other P2P and network adjustments include modifications to the default onion listening port behavior, enhanced orphan transaction handling for increased reliability, and the introduction of ephemeral dust in transactions to allow for a single dust output in zero-fee transactions under specific conditions.

Mining and mempool policy revisions have been implemented, including a correction to the block reserved weight calculation and the introduction of a -blockreservedweight startup option allowing miners to specify reserved weight directly. The default values and behaviors of several RPCs have also been updated or added to enhance functionality and information accessibility regarding mempool acceptance, block submission, mining info, and more.

The build system for Bitcoin Core has transitioned from Autotools to CMake, requiring at least CMake version 3.22 and enforcing out-of-source builds to prevent potential issues. This migration aims to streamline the build process, offering guidance on configuring the build system with CMake variables and adjusting to changes in defaults for building with zmq and the GUI. Additional tools and utilities have been introduced or updated, such as the utxo_to_sqlite.py tool for converting UTXO snapshots to SQLite3 databases.

This release also addresses various low-level changes, updates to REST APIs, and adjustments to settings handling for better clarity and user experience. The removal of MiniUPnPc and libnatpmp dependencies reflects the project's ongoing efforts to refine and secure its networking capabilities.

Contributions from numerous individuals were crucial to this release, highlighting the collaborative effort involved in enhancing and maintaining the Bitcoin Core software. For a detailed understanding of all changes and to report any bugs, users and developers are directed to the GitHub issue tracker.