CoinDesk
Bitcoin Core 32.0, the next major release of the software that runs Bitcoin nodes, entered final testing on Sept. 14 with its first release candidate. Developers target Oct. 10 for the stable version. The update leaves Bitcoin's consensus rules untouched but changes how nodes estimate fees, how they process blocks, and how wallets build transactions.
The headline functional change is a second fee estimator. Core currently estimates fees by looking at transactions that made it into previous blocks, which keeps estimates elevated after congestion clears. Version 32 adds an estimator that examines transactions currently waiting in the mempool and recommends the lower fee when live conditions support it, letting estimates fall faster when the network frees up.
Block validation also gets faster. Nodes can now fetch transaction data from their databases with multiple processing threads at once while checking blocks, defaulting to eight threads. That cuts disk-wait time for a node catching up with the blockchain.
Security work is substantial. Developers patched a command-execution flaw, present since Bitcoin Core 24.0 on non-Windows systems, where an authenticated user allowed to create wallets could craft a wallet name that ran commands on the host machine via the walletnotify feature. Version 32 treats wallet names as literal text.
An audit of the node's new web server, carried out using Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model, found a memory-exhaustion scenario: a client could keep sending data while an earlier request was still processing, ballooning memory use. Testing showed the issue also hit the unauthenticated REST interface, where sixteen connections pushed one node from 46 MB to roughly 3 GB in a minute. After the fix, a 90-second test used about 3 MB instead of 3.2 GB.
Why it matters
Bitcoin Core is the reference software for anyone verifying the network independently, so its release cadence shapes node operations ecosystem-wide. The fee-estimation change addresses a long-running user pain point: overpaying because estimates lag real congestion.
Frequently asked questions
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When does Bitcoin Core 32.0 release?
The first release candidate was tagged Sept. 14, and developers target Oct. 10 for the stable version under the project's release schedule.
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Does Bitcoin Core 32 change Bitcoin's consensus rules?
No. The update only affects fee estimation, block processing performance, wallet transaction building, and security hardening, leaving consensus rules untouched.
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How does the new fee estimator in Bitcoin Core 32 work?
It examines transactions currently waiting in the mempool alongside the existing estimator that looks at previously confirmed blocks, and can recommend a lower fee when live conditions allow estimates to fall faster.
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What security flaws were fixed in Bitcoin Core 32?
A command-execution flaw, present since Core 24 on non-Windows systems, where a crafted wallet name could run commands on the host via walletnotify, and a memory-exhaustion flaw in the new web server and REST interface.
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What is the PSBT version 2 change in Bitcoin Core 32?
Four commands that build partially signed transactions will default to PSBT version 2. Applications can still request the older format, but services built on those Core commands must verify v2 support.
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