Bitcoin Core 31.0 incorporates Cluster Mempool for transaction management

The development of Bitcoin Core already has the definitive integration of Cluster Mempool for its future version 31.0. This week the merge of Pull Request #34616 was carried out in the main code branch of the software. A change led by developer Suhas Daftuar.

This is an update that replaces the current pending transaction management system, for a group-based data structure. The objective is to achieve an organization of the memory of the nodes more efficient and technical.

From a technical perspective, Cluster Mempool modifies the way the node processes transactions. Currently, the software tracks individual “ancestor and descendant” relationships. This imposes rigid limits, such as a maximum of 25 linked transactions.

The new architecture groups the related transactions in clusters independent. This structure allows the node to scan entire groups without the current counting restrictions. This makes it easier to process complex operations, especially in higher layer protocols that rely on multiple linked transactions.

System efficiency resides in a linearization algorithm. This process sorts transactions within each cluster to prioritize those that maximize fees for miners. For the user, this solves problems in calculating the RBF (Replacement by Commission) and CPFP (Child Pays for Father) functions.

This way, by having an optimized execution order, wallets can accurately calculate the necessary fee, reducing the risk of overpaying.

When will Bitcoin Core 31.0 be available?

Bitcoin Core version 31.0 is expected to be available during the second half of 2026following the usual software update cycle.

The development team works under caution due to the need to mitigate risks. During the version 30 cycle, an error was identified that affected the management of transactions in certain wallets, as reported by NoticiasVE. Hence the possibility of downloading it has been eliminated.

The error could even lead to the loss of funds, which has reinforced the importance of complying with the testing phases prior to launch.

Currently, although version 30.1 is already available in the repositoriesthe Bitcoin.org portal maintains version 28.1 active as the main download recommendation. This is because the priority is to recommend widely tested versions over a long period, with thousands of nodes running without any major problems reported.

Version 28.1 (released January 2025, with subsequent patches) accumulates more than one year of real use on the networkwhich makes it reliable for new users or those running critical nodes (full nodes).

The practice of suggesting versions with longer validation times is common in the ecosystem to ensure that users operate with software whose stability has been widely confirmed, before migrating to new architectures.