Bitcoin Core releases fix for bug causing loss of cryptocurrencies

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: Bitcoin Core releases fix for bug causing cryptocurrency loss Original Link: Bitcoin Core announced the release of test version v30.2rc1, an update that brings important fixes after issues detected in versions 30.0 and 30.1 which, in rare cases, could lead to the loss of all bitcoins during migration from old wallets.

The new version is still in testing by developers and the community but represents an essential step toward consolidating the stability of the most widely used implementation of a full node in the Bitcoin network, whose codebase is maintained by a community of independent developers in the name of security and decentralization.

v30.2rc1 was published as a candidate for the future stable version 30.2, focusing specifically on fixing the migration bug that triggered a global alert: in versions 30.0 and 30.1, when attempting to convert legacy wallets from the old format to the new standard, the software could, under specific circumstances, delete not only the wallet files during migration but also other wallet files present in the same directory, resulting in permanent loss of funds if backups were not available.

This flaw, considered critical by developers and users, led to the removal of the affected version and to a temporary rollback to version 28.1 until a corrected code was tested and validated.

The new test version includes adjustments to the wallet migration process and additional validations to prevent the deletion failure from occurring. Although the full changelog is technical, the main changes focus on the wallet file loading logic and error handling, which in the previous release did not adequately address cases involving interaction with pruning (which reduces storage space by discarding old blockchain data) and the presence of standardized files created in earlier versions of Bitcoin Core.

This fix is viewed by the community as the number one priority before raising v30 again to the status of a recommended version for general use.

Debate within the Bitcoin community

The release of v30.2rc1 comes amid a broader debate within the community about the future development of Bitcoin software. Versions 30 had already been controversial even before the bug was discovered, mainly due to changes related to the use of OP_RETURN, a mechanism that allows inserting arbitrary data into transactions.

This debate reignited comparisons between Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots, an alternative implementation maintained by developer Luke Dash Jr., which adopts a more restrictive stance regarding data storage on the blockchain.

Critics of Core argue that the series of controversies reinforces the need for more conservative approaches in developing the most used software of the network. Supporters of Core, on the other hand, highlight that the very process of publicly identifying the error, immediately removing affected versions, and quickly releasing a corrective version for testing demonstrates the robustness of the open development model and the priority given to security.

While v30.2rc1 is now undergoing community testing, the expectation is that, if no new critical flaws are found, the stable version 30.2 will be released in the coming weeks. Until then, the same recommendation remains: users should avoid any wallet migration processes in the affected versions and keep backups up to date.