Bitcoin Core 32 Enters Release-Candidate Cycle with Processing Speed Boost
Bitcoin Core 32 has entered its release-candidate cycle, bringing several key updates to the network. Draft release notes indicate that the update will include parallel validation reads and a mempool-based fee estimator. This means that node operators can expect improvements in processing speed and fee estimates.
The update also includes mining compatibility changes, wallet updates, and server limits. However, it does not change Bitcoin's consensus rules, which determine whether blocks and transactions are valid. The draft release notes mention specific changes to the IPC mining interface, which will reject out-of-range block-template settings, and node startup, which will no longer allow an invalid configuration.
One of the key features of Bitcoin Core 32 is its ability to fetch input prevouts from the chainstate database in parallel. This can help improve validation speeds, particularly during initial block download, chainstate rebuilding, and worst-case processing of blocks at the chain tip.