Bitcoin’s most-used software is getting a major update. Here’s what actually changes

Bitcoin Core, the software used to run Bitcoin nodes, has moved its next major update into final testing with changes to transaction fees, block processing and the way wallets build transactions.

The first release candidate for Bitcoin Core 32.0 was tagged on Sept. 14, starting the final testing cycle before developers aim to release the finished version on Oct. 10, according to the project’s release schedule.

Bitcoin Core lets a computer independently check transactions and blocks against Bitcoin’s rules rather than relying on another service. Version 32 does not change those rules.

Bitcoin Core currently estimates how much a user should pay for a transaction largely by looking at the fees attached to transactions that made it into previous blocks. Version 32 adds a second estimator that looks at transactions currently waiting to be confirmed.

The software will compare the two and can recommend the lower fee when current network conditions support it. That should let estimates fall more quickly when congestion clears instead of continuing to reflect more expensive transactions from earlier blocks, according to the draft release notes.