Bitcoin Core version 0.19.0 released

Bitcoin developers have released the Bitcoin Core 0.19 update for the original Bitcoin software client.

The current version of the update carries a Bitcoin numberCore 0.19.0.1, since before the launch of version 0.19.0 some problems were detected. The improvement was developed over the course of six months under the leadership of Vladimir van der Laan (Wladimir van der Laan).

Bitcoin Core 0.19.0.1 contains a number of improvements to increase productivity, as well as improvements and fixes that were performed based on 550 requests for code inclusion.

Probably the most noticeable to the userthe change is that in the Bitcoin Core GUI for the first time, the default “bech32” address format is set (BIP 173). Initially, this format was introduced in 2018 in version 0.16.0.

Bech32 contains a number of changes, among which -there is no difference between lowercase and uppercase letters, with addresses starting with the prefix "bc1" and not with numbers. Despite the fact that addresses have become longer, they contain fewer different characters in order to avoid errors during manual entry. Bech32 improves interaction with SegWit wallets, as less data is transferred when transactions are made on the Bitcoin network, resulting in reduced costs. Van Wirdum noted that thanks to the update, you can run a “pruned” wallet immediately after installation, even if there is not enough disk space.

In Bitcoin Core 0.19.0 nodes will support more connections to prevent split attacks. Improved interaction between full and light wallets. Instead of the obsolete Bloom Filters method, a new solution appeared in 0.19.0 called “compact client-side block filtering”. Now complete nodes can provide a set of filters with which it will be easier for light clients to select transactions relevant to them from the block.

The developers also deleted the "payment protocol"BIP 70 is from Bitcoin Core version 0.19.0, explaining that it has never been popular, and most wallets use the URI scheme to receive payments (BIP 21).

In addition to the above improvements, Bitcoin Core 0.19.0 supports “Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions” (PSBT) - partially signed transactions that can be transmitted before the final broadcast to the blockchain. This feature is useful for multi-sign and CoinJoin transactions.

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