This guide explains Bitcoin Core 31.0 release in plain English. It summarises the important changes, who they affect and what should be checked before an upgrade.
TL;DR
- What it is: Bitcoin Core 31.0 replaces core mempool policy machinery with cluster mempool, adds Tor or I2P private broadcast for sendrawtransaction, expands package relay, embeds asmap data and increases database cache on sufficiently large systems. It also ends support for 28.x and older and removes previously deprecated settings, making a staged compatibility audit essential.
- Why it matters: Bitcoin Core 31.0 changes the transaction-policy engine and privacy controls that many services assume are stable. A safe upgrade proves memory, cluster ordering, replacements, packages and RPC compatibility independently.
- Current position: Require a second reviewer and explicit rollback or expiry, and pause payments, signing or network-dependent services until post-change evidence is complete.
Bitcoin Core 31.0 release in simple English
Bitcoin Core 31.0 release: Ancestor and descendant limits give way to connected clusters limited by default to 64 transactions and 101 kB virtual size.
Simple example
A node operator is checking Bitcoin Core 31.0 release. Default dbcache rises from 450 to 1,024 MiB when at least 4 GiB RAM is detected.
Key terms in plain English
- Bitcoin Core:
- Widely used software that validates Bitcoin and can provide wallet, network and operator tools.
- RPC:
- A command that software sends to a node to request information or a local action.
- Mempool:
- A node’s changing local collection of valid, unconfirmed transactions.
- Node:
- A computer running Bitcoin software that checks data and communicates with other peers.
Support and memory
Versions 28.x and older reached end of life. Default dbcache rises from 450 to 1,024 MiB when at least 4 GiB RAM is detected; containers may over-report available memory, so set an explicit safe limit.
Cluster mempool
Ancestor and descendant limits give way to connected clusters limited by default to 64 transactions and 101 kB virtual size. Mining, eviction, relay and RBF use chunk-based expected mining order.
Replacement policy
RBF accepts a replacement only when the resulting mempool feerate diagram strictly improves. Singleton replacements still need both higher fee and higher feerate.
Private broadcast
With privatebroadcast enabled, sendrawtransaction uses separate Tor or I2P connections, reducing IP and cross-transaction linkability. New RPCs inspect and abort the local queue; neither guarantees remote erasure.
Package and peers
One-parent-one-child relay may include a zero-fee parent for non-TRUC packages. Embedded asmap remains opt-in and needs -asmap or -asmap=1; external maps require an explicit filename.
Removed interfaces
paytxfee, settxfee, maxorphantx and tor network naming are removed or replaced. Getpeerinfo startingheight becomes deprecated-only, while new spender-index and block-range interfaces affect clients.
How specialists test it
Node operators test the release on a representative non-production system. They check startup, normal operation, failure handling and restart before changing a live node. Connected wallets, monitoring and mining services should also be checked.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main point of Bitcoin Core 31.0 release?
Bitcoin Core 31.0 release: Ancestor and descendant limits give way to connected clusters limited by default to 64 transactions and 101 kB virtual size.
For Bitcoin Core 31.0 release, what should a beginner know about support and memory?
Versions 28.x and older reached end of life. Default dbcache rises from 450 to 1,024 MiB when at least 4 GiB RAM is detected.
For Bitcoin Core 31.0 release, what should a beginner know about cluster mempool?
Ancestor and descendant limits give way to connected clusters limited by default to 64 transactions and 101 kB virtual size.
For Bitcoin Core 31.0 release, what should a beginner know about replacement policy?
RBF accepts a replacement only when the resulting mempool feerate diagram strictly improves.
Conclusion
Bitcoin Core 31.0 changes the transaction-policy engine and privacy controls that many services assume are stable. A safe upgrade proves memory, cluster ordering, replacements, packages and RPC compatibility independently.
Primary sources
Check the current specification status and the documentation for the exact implementation you operate before moving production funds or changing a mining node.
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