Next Bitcoin Core Release to Connect Hardware Wallets to Full Nodes

News and Analysis
09.04.2019

The next release of the Bitcoin Core code (v.0.18.0) will have an important new feature that many users have been waiting for. As reported by CoinDesk, it will allow users with hardware wallets to connect to full nodes.

Bitcoin full nodes allow users to verify that transactions actually took place, while hardware wallets are considered one of the most secure ways to store cryptocurrency. Thus, making it easier to join the two together is a big win for users who want full control of their coins.

“The wallet software that normally comes with hardware wallets reveals your addresses to a third-party server. The full node would replace this wallet software, giving users privacy again,” said Bitcoin Core contributor Sjors Provoost.

The connection will still have to be executed manually in the command line, but it’s definitely a step forward for the technology.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to the trade-off between convenience and trust,” Bitcoin Core wallet maintainer Samuel Dobson added.

Dobson also pointed to a new “multiwallet” command, which will allow users to pair with multiple wallets within their bitcoin core full node. While the ability to use multiple wallets at once has existed in the code previously, 0.18.0 plugs the feature in the graphical user interface for the first time, so people no longer have to be full-blown developers using the command line to take advantage of the feature.

“Version 0.18 adds support to the GUI to do that, as well as a few improvements in how it works too,” Dobson said.

The third Release Candidate (RC) Bitcoin Core v.0.18.0 has recently been made available. This may be the final test version, so organizations and expert users are encouraged to test it promptly and report feedback if they want to ensure any possible regressions are caught before release.

According to developers, the update will be available for users to download in the coming weeks.

Follow ForkLog on Twitter and Facebook!

Found a typo? Highlight text and press CTRL+ENTER

Subscribe to our Newsletter

<

Related posts

Tags: , , ,