Release Schedule for v20.0.0

[PastaPastaPasta]

Here is a proposed release schedule for v20.0.0, the next major release of Dash Core.

Primary blockers

• feat!: masternode node hard-fork activation DIP-0023 #5469 - Sept 29th
• https://github.com/dashpay/dash-issues/issues/58 - Sept 27
• Finalization of Asset locks - Ody to evaluate core's opinion on final design by Sept 22, implementation changes by sept 28

2023-09-05

• v20.0.0-beta1 released

2023-10-18

• Soft Feature freeze (no new ideas, any merged PRs should implement an open issue)
• Soft translation string freeze (no large or unnecessary string changes until release)
• Start RC cycle, tag and begin building v20.0.0-rc.1
• Open Transifex translations for 20
• Split off v20.x branch from develop
• Start merging for v21.x on develop
• Begin devnet testing of rc.1

2023-10-19

• Release v20.0.0.0-rc1

2023-10-23

• Reorganize testnet and go through hard fork process

2023-11-01

• Hard feature freeze (No new PRs except for release PRs and fixing breaking / non-QOL bugs)
• Translation string freeze (no more source language changes until release)
• Begin Release Process

2023-11-08

• Ensure that all chainparams are updated
• Tag and start building v20.0.0

2023-11-13

• Release v20.0.0 final (aim)

NOTE: This schedule is just a plan, it is not authoritative, nor final. As development continues dates will change and will be updated here.

[PastaPastaPasta]

Please be aware that the v20 Hard Fork has been locked in by miner support and WILL activate at height 1987776 around 6 PM UTC on Thursday, December 14. Any nodes not updated by this block will fork off from the main chain and will need to update in order to get back in sync.

Additional information:

• DashCore v20.0 binaries can be found on the GitHub releases page
• Upgrade instructions can be found in the release notes
• Dash Core v20.0 Product Brief can be found on the Dash blog