Bitcoin Core fixes privacy flaw in update

• Bitcoin Core released version 31.1rc1, fixing a privacy issue that could expose users' IP addresses when using PrivateBroadcast.
• The release also improves blockchain validation, wallet accuracy, networking and MuSig2 signature security ahead of the next stable version.
• Developers are encouraging users to test the release candidate before the production version is finalised.

Bitcoin Core released version 31.1rc1 as a release candidate, fixing a privacy issue that could expose users' internet protocol (IP) addresses when using the PrivateBroadcast feature under certain network conditions.

The release candidate allows developers, node operators and users to test the software before the stable version is released, with the Bitcoin Core team seeking community feedback to identify any remaining issues.

“Because version 31.1rc1 remains a release candidate rather than the final production version, the developers are encouraging the community to install the software in test environments, verify its behavior under real-world conditions, and report any bugs before the stable release reaches the Bitcoin network,” the Bitcoin Core development team said.

The developers said the update also improves blockchain validation, networking behaviour, wallet migration checks, transaction size estimation and MuSig2 signature validation, while adding stronger safeguards against invalid public key aggregation and configuration write errors.

The software is available for Linux, macOS and Windows, with direct upgrades supported for recent versions, and as Bitcoin Core is an open-source software project there was no share price reaction to report.

The release also expands developer testing tools by improving fuzz testing, removing race conditions and updating build systems to strengthen software reliability before the final release.

Bitcoin Core said feedback gathered during the release candidate phase will be used to resolve any remaining issues before version 31.1 is deployed across the Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) network.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $58,750.89.