From 465f53a905f97d575e5415597ea47ea3a51fb081 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mike Schmidt Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:08:18 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Newsletters: add 419 (2026-08-21) --- .../en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md | 46 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 46 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md diff --git a/_posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md b/_posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..d3e78a76c --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md @@ -0,0 +1,46 @@ +--- +title: 'Bitcoin Optech Newsletter #419' +permalink: /en/newsletters/2026/08/21/ +name: 2026-08-21-newsletter +slug: 2026-08-21-newsletter +type: newsletter +layout: newsletter +lang: en +--- +FIXME:bitschmidty + +## News + +FIXME:bitschmidty + +## Changes to services and client software + +*In this monthly feature, we highlight interesting updates to Bitcoin +wallets and services.* + +FIXME:bitschmidty + +## Releases and release candidates + +_New releases and release candidates for popular Bitcoin infrastructure +projects. Please consider upgrading to new releases or helping to test +release candidates._ + +FIXME:Gustavojfe + +## Notable code and documentation changes + +_Notable recent changes in [Bitcoin Core][bitcoin core repo], [Core +Lightning][core lightning repo], [Eclair][eclair repo], [LDK][ldk repo], +[LND][lnd repo], [libsecp256k1][libsecp256k1 repo], [Hardware Wallet +Interface (HWI)][hwi repo], [Rust Bitcoin][rust bitcoin repo], [BTCPay +Server][btcpay server repo], [BDK][bdk repo], [Bitcoin Improvement +Proposals (BIPs)][bips repo], [Lightning BOLTs][bolts repo], +[Lightning BLIPs][blips repo], [Bitcoin Inquisition][bitcoin inquisition +repo], and [BINANAs][binana repo]._ + +FIXME:Gustavojfe + +{% include snippets/recap-ad.md when="2026-08-25 16:30" %} +{% include references.md %} +{% include linkers/issues.md v=2 issues="" %} From edeff9a69d74a91a9bfa9d3ab85fd6949872733c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mike Schmidt Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:46:04 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] News419: add client services segment --- .../en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md | 76 ++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 75 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/_posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md b/_posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md index d3e78a76c..cd87fd33e 100644 --- a/_posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md +++ b/_posts/en/newsletters/2026-08-21-newsletter.md @@ -18,7 +18,68 @@ FIXME:bitschmidty *In this monthly feature, we highlight interesting updates to Bitcoin wallets and services.* -FIXME:bitschmidty +- **Payjoin Dev Kit (rust-payjoin) 1.0.0 released:** + The Payjoin Dev Kit project [released][payjoin 1.0.0] the first stable version + of rust-payjoin, supporting both synchronous BIP78 [payjoins][topic payjoin] + and asynchronous BIP77 payjoins with resumable, persisted sessions. + +- **Silent Payments sender plugin for Electrum:** + Ali Sherief [released][sp electrum delving] a plugin that adds [silent + payments][topic silent payments] (BIP352) sending (no receiving) to the + Electrum desktop wallet for single-signature software wallets. + +- **Superscalar implementation announced:** + 8144225309 [announced][superscalar delving] an implementation of Superscalar, + ZmnSCPxj's [channel factory][topic channel factories] design that puts many + self-custodial Lightning clients behind a single onchain UTXO without a soft + fork (see our [Superscalar deep dive podcast][superscalar deepdive]). + +- **Cofund multisig wallet announced:** + Cofund [announced][cofund x] a self-custody [multisig][topic multisignature] + wallet built on a policy-based [taproot][topic taproot] (P2TR) architecture + with multi-vendor key registration and hierarchical multisig. + +- **Lexe adds human-readable addresses and LNURL-withdraw:** + Lexe, a self-custodial Lightning wallet that runs each user's node in a + trusted execution environment (TEE) so it stays online without the operator + taking custody, [announced][lexe x] support for [BIP353][] human-readable + bitcoin addresses (which also function as Lightning Addresses) and + [LNURL-withdraw][topic lnurl]. + +- **Ledger Bitcoin app 2.5.0 adds human-readable policy descriptions:** + Salvatore Ingala [announced][salvatoshi x] version 2.5.0 of the Ledger Bitcoin + app, which displays a human-readable description for many [taproot][topic + taproot] [miniscript][topic miniscript] and [multisig][topic multisignature] + wallet policies during registration, instead of only the opaque + [descriptor][topic descriptors] template. This makes it easier for a user to + verify a policy and catch a malicious substitution (such as a 3-of-5 replaced + with a 1-of-5) before registering it. + +- **Bark 0.5.0 released:** + Second [released][second x] version 0.5.0 of Bark, its [Ark][topic ark] + implementation, adding restoration of a wallet's full off-chain balance + (VTXOs) from its mnemonic and support for Lightning receives to external Ark + addresses, which enables non-custodial Lightning-address servers. + +- **Bitcoin-PIR for private UTXO queries:** + Weikeng Chen [announced][bitcoinpir] Bitcoin-PIR, a private information + retrieval (PIR) system that lets a light client check the UTXO set for its own + addresses or scriptPubKeys without revealing to the server which ones it is + interested in. It offers a choice of four PIR backends: DPF-PIR, HarmonyPIR, + OnionPIRv2, and an ORAM scheme backed by a trusted execution environment + (TEE). + +- **OP_TEMPLATEHASH Ark demonstration:** + Steven Roose [launched][templatehash] a signet demonstration of Bark, Second's + [Ark][topic ark] implementation, running against `OP_TEMPLATEHASH`, a + taproot-native [CTV][topic op_checktemplateverify]-style [covenant][topic + covenants] opcode. The demo is built from the `templatehash` branch of the + Bark [repository][bark gitlab]. + +- **libshrincs formally verified hash-based signatures:** + Jonas Nick [announced][libshrincs delving] libshrincs, a C implementation of + [post-quantum][topic quantum resistance] hash-based signatures with a + machine-checked security proof, written by remix7531. ## Releases and release candidates @@ -44,3 +105,16 @@ FIXME:Gustavojfe {% include snippets/recap-ad.md when="2026-08-25 16:30" %} {% include references.md %} {% include linkers/issues.md v=2 issues="" %} + +[payjoin 1.0.0]: https://github.com/payjoin/rust-payjoin/releases/tag/payjoin-1.0.0 +[sp electrum delving]: https://delvingbitcoin.org/t/silent-payments-sender-bip352-plugin-for-electrum/2743 +[superscalar delving]: https://delvingbitcoin.org/t/superscalar-an-implementation-report/2705 +[superscalar deepdive]: /en/podcast/2024/10/31/ +[cofund x]: https://x.com/getcofund/status/2085389177193972164 +[lexe x]: https://x.com/lexeapp/status/2079245197817548964 +[salvatoshi x]: https://x.com/salvatoshi/status/2086727660353261863 +[second x]: https://x.com/secondhq/status/2084716752789991614 +[bitcoinpir]: https://bitcoinpir.org +[templatehash]: https://templatehash.com +[bark gitlab]: https://gitlab.com/ark-bitcoin/bark +[libshrincs delving]: https://delvingbitcoin.org/t/libshrincs-a-c-implementation-with-a-machine-checked-security-proof/2795