According to U.Today, the latest update to Bitcoin Core, v27.0, has been released, bringing significant changes to the functionality of the world's largest blockchain. This update is the last one before the fourth halving, which will reduce Bitcoin (BTC) emissions to 3,125 Bitcoins per block.
The new version, published in Bitcoin's GitHub repository, deprecates the decade-old Bitcoin library libbitcoinconsensus and introduces new software formats to enhance the interaction between Bitcoin Core and third-party programs. The networking between the blockchain element now defaults to BIP324 v2 transport, with the previous version (v1) only being used in case of v2 failure.
The update also brings improvements to the Bitcoin (BTC) mempool and discontinues support for external signing on Windows due to security concerns. The release was authored by 63 Bitcoin Core members, including notable figures such as Hennadii Stepanov, Jameson Lopp, Luke Dashjr, Peter Todd, and Pieter Wuille.
In addition to these major changes, Bitcoin Core has also received enhancements in synchronization and performance characteristics. However, the release of the update coincides with a significant drop in Bitcoin's price. The cryptocurrency is now targeting $60,000 as a new level for its dropdown, after losing 11% in seven days and touching seven-week lows. This price plunge has resulted in over $70 million in liquidations, with $24 million being erased in the last hour.