Bitcoin Core 23.0 Download: What You Need to Know
Bitcoin Core is the original and most popular software implementation of the Bitcoin protocol. It is a free and open-source project that allows anyone to run a full node on the Bitcoin network, validating transactions and blocks, and relaying them to other nodes. Running Bitcoin Core also gives you access to various features and options, such as creating and managing your own wallet, sending and receiving bitcoins, interacting with other applications using RPCs or ZMQ, and more.
bitcoin core 23.0 download
Bitcoin Core is constantly being improved by a team of developers who work on adding new features, fixing bugs, enhancing performance, and updating translations. Every few months, a new version of Bitcoin Core is released, which includes the latest changes and improvements. The most recent version is Bitcoin Core 23.0, which was released on October 19th, 2023.
In this article, we will cover what's new in Bitcoin Core 23.0, how to download and install it, how to use it, and how to get help and support for it. If you are interested in running a full node on the Bitcoin network, or if you are already using Bitcoin Core and want to upgrade to the latest version, this article is for you.
What's New in Bitcoin Core 23.0?
Bitcoin Core 23.0 includes several new features, various bug fixes and performance improvements, as well as updated translations. Here are some of the notable changes:
P2P and network changes
A bitcoind node will no longer rumour addresses to inbound peers by default. They will become eligible for address gossip after sending an ADDR, ADDRV2, or GETADDR message. This change aims to reduce bandwidth usage and improve privacy.
Before this release, Bitcoin Core had a strong preference to try to connect only to peers that listen on port 8333. As a result of that, Bitcoin nodes listening on non-standard ports would likely not get any Bitcoin Core peers connecting to them. This preference has been removed. This change aims to increase network diversity and resilience.
Full support has been added for the CJDNS network. CJDNS is a decentralized networking protocol that provides end-to-end encryption, peer-to-peer routing, and IPv6 addressing. This change allows Bitcoin Core nodes to communicate over CJDNS without any additional configuration.
Fee estimation changes
Fee estimation now takes the feerate of replacement (RBF) transactions into account.[ RBF transactions are transactions that can be replaced by a higher-fee version of the same transaction. This feature allows users to increase the chances of their transactions being confirmed faster by paying a higher fee. However, this also affects the fee estimation algorithm, as it makes the feerate distribution of the mempool more dynamic and unpredictable. Therefore, Bitcoin Core 23.0 has updated its fee estimation logic to account for RBF transactions and provide more accurate estimates.
Rescan startup parameter removed
The -rescan startup parameter has been removed. This parameter was used to rescan the blockchain for missing wallet transactions on startup. However, it was inefficient and unreliable, as it could miss transactions that were not in the node's UTXO set at the time of the scan. Instead of using this parameter, users should use the rescanblockchain RPC command, which allows specifying a range of blocks to scan and works regardless of the node's UTXO set.
Tracepoints and Userspace, Statically Defined Tracing support
Experimental support for tracepoints has been added. Tracepoints are a way of instrumenting code to emit events that can be captured by tracing tools. They can be used to monitor and analyze the performance and behavior of Bitcoin Core without modifying the source code or recompiling. This feature is currently only available for Linux platforms, and requires a version of libstdc++ that supports C++17.
How to Download and Install Bitcoin Core 23.0?
If you want to download and install Bitcoin Core 23.0, you need to follow these steps:
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bitcoin core 23.0 cjdns network support
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Verify your bandwidth and space requirements
Bitcoin Core requires a lot of bandwidth and disk space to download and store the entire blockchain, which is over 400 GB as of October 2023. You can reduce the amount of space required by enabling pruning, which deletes old blocks that are no longer needed. You can do this by adding prune=N to your bitcoin.conf file, where N is the amount of space in MB that you want to allocate for pruning. For example, prune=10000 will prune the blockchain to use only 10 GB of disk space.
Verify your download
Before you download Bitcoin Core 23.0, you should verify that the binaries or source code you are downloading are authentic and have not been tampered with. This is an optional but highly recommended step, as it ensures that you are running the official version of Bitcoin Core and not a malicious or compromised one. To verify your download, you need to follow these steps:
Download the list of cryptographic checksums for the files you want to download from
Download a digital signature for the checksums from
Download the public key of Wladimir J. van der Laan, the lead maintainer of Bitcoin Core, from
Import the public key into your GPG keyring using the command: gpg --import laanwj-releases.asc
Verify that the checksums file is signed by Wladimir J. van der Laan using the command: gpg --verify SHA256SUMS.asc.sig SHA256SUMS.asc
If the verification is successful, you should see a message like this: gpg: Good signature from "Wladimir J. van der Laan (Bitcoin Core binary release signing key) "
Compare the checksums of the files you downloaded with the ones in the checksums file using a tool like sha256sum or shasum.
If the checksums match, you can proceed to download or install Bitcoin Core 23.0.
Download the binaries or source code
Once you have verified your download, you can choose to download either the binaries or the source code of Bitcoin Core 23.0. The binaries are pre-compiled executables that you can run on your system without any additional steps. The source code is the raw code that you can compile yourself if you want to have more control over the installation process or modify the code for your own purposes.
You can download the binaries or the source code from . There are different versions available for different operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, macOS, and ARM. Make sure you download the version that matches your system architecture and requirements.
Upgrade from an older version
If you are already running an older version of Bitcoin Core, you can upgrade to Bitcoin Core 23.0 by following these steps:
Shut down your node by using the stop command in the GUI or CLI, or by sending a signal to the bitcoind process.
Wait until the node has completely shut down and closed all files and connections.
Run the installer for the new version, or copy over the new files to replace the old ones.
Restart your node and check that everything is working as expected.
Note that upgrading to Bitcoin Core 23.0 will not affect your wallet or settings, as they are stored in separate files. However, it is always a good idea to backup your wallet and configuration files before upgrading, just in case something goes wrong.
How to Use Bitcoin Core 23.0?
Once you have downloaded and installed Bitcoin Core 23.0, you can start using it by following these steps:
Run Bitcoin Core as a full node
Running Bitcoin Core as a full node means that you are participating in the Bitcoin network by validating transactions and blocks, and relaying them to other nodes. This helps secure and decentralize the network, as well as giving you more privacy and control over your transactions. However, running a full node also comes with some challenges, such as requiring a lot of bandwidth and disk space, and exposing you to potential attacks or censorship.
To run Bitcoin Core as a full node, you need to launch the bitcoind daemon or the bitcoin-qt GUI application. You can use the default settings or customize them according to your preferences. You can also use command-line options or configuration files to modify the behavior of your node. For example, you can use -listen=0 to disable incoming connections, -maxconnections=N to limit the number of outbound connections, -proxy=IP:port to use a proxy server, -prune=N to enable pruning, and so on.
Once your node is running, it will start downloading and verifying the blockchain from other nodes. This process can take several hours or days, depending on your bandwidth and system performance. You can check the progress of your node by using the getblockchaininfo command in the CLI or by looking at the status bar in the GUI. You can also use other commands or menus to get more information about your node, such as getnetworkinfo, getpeerinfo, getmempoolinfo, etc.
Use the graphical user interface (GUI) or command-line interface (CLI)
Bitcoin Core provides two ways of interacting with your node: a graphical user interface (GUI) or a command-line interface (CLI). The GUI is a user-friendly application that allows you to perform various tasks using menus, buttons, and dialogs. The CLI is a text-based interface that allows you to execute commands using a terminal or console.
The GUI and the CLI offer similar functionality, but some features may be easier or more convenient to use in one or the other. For example, the GUI allows you to create and manage your own wallet, send and receive bitcoins, view transaction history and details, adjust network settings, access debug console and logs, etc. The CLI allows you to run scripts, automate tasks, access advanced options and parameters, interact with other applications using RPCs or ZMQ, etc.
You can choose to use either the GUI or the CLI according to your preference and needs. You can also use both at the same time, as they communicate with the same bitcoind daemon running in the background. However, be careful not to run multiple instances of bitcoind or bitcoin-qt on the same system, as this may cause conflicts and errors. Interact with other applications using RPCs or ZMQ
Bitcoin Core also allows you to interact with other applications using remote procedure calls (RPCs) or ZeroMQ (ZMQ) messages. RPCs are a way of sending commands and receiving responses from your node using JSON-RPC over HTTP. ZMQ is a way of subscribing to notifications about events that occur on your node, such as new transactions or blocks, using a publish-subscribe pattern over TCP.
Using RPCs or ZMQ, you can integrate Bitcoin Core with various third-party applications, such as wallets, explorers, exchanges, payment processors, etc. You can also use them to create your own custom applications that leverage the functionality and data of your node. For example, you can use RPCs to query the blockchain, create and broadcast transactions, manage your wallet, etc. You can use ZMQ to monitor the network activity, detect forks, analyze fees, etc.
To use RPCs or ZMQ, you need to enable and configure them in your bitcoin.conf file or using command-line options. You also need to use a compatible client library or tool that can communicate with your node using these protocols. For example, you can use bitcoin-cli to send RPC commands from the terminal, or use python-bitcoinlib to send RPC commands from a Python script. You can use pyzmq to receive ZMQ messages from a Python script, or use bitcoin-subscribe to receive ZMQ messages from the terminal.
You can find more information about RPCs and ZMQ in the Bitcoin Core documentation, which provides a list of available commands, parameters, examples, and references.
How to Get Help and Support for Bitcoin Core 23.0?
If you encounter any issues or have any questions about Bitcoin Core 23.0, you can get help and support from various sources:
Report bugs using the issue tracker on GitHub
If you find a bug or a problem with Bitcoin Core 23.0, you can report it using the issue tracker on GitHub: . Before you create a new issue, make sure you search for existing issues that may be related to your problem. If you find one, you can comment on it and provide additional information or feedback. If you don't find one, you can create a new issue and describe your problem in detail, following the issue template and guidelines.
Subscribe to security and update notifications
If you want to stay informed about security issues and updates related to Bitcoin Core 23.0, you can subscribe to the Bitcoin Core announcements mailing list: . You will receive email notifications whenever there is a new release, a security advisory, or an important announcement regarding Bitcoin Core.
Join the community on IRC, Reddit, Twitter, or mailing lists
If you want to interact with other Bitcoin Core users and developers, you can join the community on various platforms:
Reddit: You can discuss Bitcoin Core topics on the r/Bitcoin subreddit: . You can also find other subreddits related to Bitcoin development and research, such as r/BitcoinDev, r/BitcoinDiscussion, r/BitcoinTechnology, etc.
Twitter: You can follow Bitcoin Core on Twitter: . You can also follow other Bitcoin Core developers and contributors who share their insights and opinions on Twitter.
Mailing lists: You can subscribe to various mailing lists related to Bitcoin development and research: . For example, you can subscribe to the bitcoin-dev mailing list for technical discussions about Bitcoin protocol and software development, or the bitcoin-discuss mailing list for general discussions about Bitcoin.
Conclusion
Bitcoin Core 23.0 is the latest version of the original and most popular software implementation of the Bitcoin protocol. It includes several new features, various bug fixes and performance improvements, as well as updated translations. It allows anyone to run a full node on the Bitcoin network, validating transactions and blocks, and relaying them to other nodes. It also provides various features and options for creating and managing your own wallet, sending and receiving bitcoins, interacting with other applications using RPCs or ZMQ, and more. Bitcoin Core 23.0 is easy to download and install, as long as you verify your bandwidth and space requirements, verify your download, and follow the instructions for your operating system. You can also upgrade from an older version of Bitcoin Core without affecting your wallet or settings. Bitcoin Core 23.0 is also easy to use, as you can choose between a graphical user interface (GUI) or a command-line interface (CLI) to interact with your node. You can also use remote procedure calls (RPCs) or ZeroMQ (ZMQ) messages to interact with other applications that integrate with Bitcoin Core. Bitcoin Core 23.0 is also well-supported by a community of developers, users, and enthusiasts who work on improving the software and helping others with their issues and questions. You can get help and support from various sources, such as the issue tracker on GitHub, the announcements mailing list, the IRC channels, the Reddit subreddits, the Twitter accounts, and the mailing lists. If you are interested in running a full node on the Bitcoin network, or if you are already using Bitcoin Core and want to upgrade to the latest version, you should download Bitcoin Core 23.0 today and support the network. You will not only benefit from the new features and improvements, but also contribute to the security and decentralization of the network. FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Bitcoin Core 23.0:
What are the system requirements for running Bitcoin Core 23.0?
The system requirements for running Bitcoin Core 23.0 depend on your operating system and configuration. However, as a general guideline, you should have at least 2 GB of RAM, 400 GB of disk space (or less if you enable pruning), and a broadband Internet connection. You should also make sure that your system is up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
How long does it take to sync Bitcoin Core 23.0 with the network?
The time it takes to sync Bitcoin Core 23.0 with the network depends on your bandwidth, system performance, and network conditions. However, as a general estimate, it can take several hours or days to download and verify the entire blockchain, which is over 400 GB as of October 2023. You can check the progress of your sync by using the getblockchaininfo command in the CLI or by looking at the status bar in the GUI.
How can I backup my wallet in Bitcoin Core 23.0?
You can backup your wallet in Bitcoin Core 23.0 by using the backupwallet command in the CLI or by using the File > Backup Wallet menu option in the GUI. You should backup your wallet regularly and store it in a safe and secure location. You should also encrypt your wallet with a strong passphrase by using the encryptwallet command in the CLI or by using the Settings > Encrypt Wallet menu option in the GUI.
How can I update my node to support Taproot activation?
Taproot is a proposed upgrade to the Bitcoin protocol that aims to improve privacy, scalability, and functionality of Bitcoin transactions. Taproot activation is expected to happen in November 2023, after a successful signaling period by miners. To update your node to support Taproot activation, you need to upgrade to Bitcoin Core 23.0 or later, which includes the code for Taproot activation. You can also use other compatible software implementations that support Taproot activation.
How can I contribute to Bitcoin Core development?
If you want to contribute to Bitcoin Core development, you can do so in various ways, such as:
Reviewing and testing pull requests on GitHub:
Reporting bugs or suggesting improvements on GitHub:
Translating Bitcoin Core into different languages on Transifex:
Donating to Bitcoin Core developers or projects:
Participating in discussions and meetings on IRC, Reddit, Twitter, or mailing lists:
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