Merge bitcoin/bitcoin#28872: [26.x] Changes for rc3v26.0rc3

2f86d3053314c382dfce5cf314e98811ed433859 doc: update release notes for v26.0rc3 (fanquake)
3b6c7f240c85fa7a0eb0f037cdc9dd0975a02e42 doc: update manual pages for v26.0rc3 (fanquake)
3db4d1cff292c003f58a1755ba94cb0c5ebbb700 build: bump version to v26.0rc3 (fanquake)
6045f38dc8f6a3e028e45fd0024d0b4c6b3cf918 build: Fix regression in "ARMv8 CRC32 intrinsics" test (Hennadii Stepanov)
5eaa179f2785d74b621ff7edbe7fd8be9cdeb419 ci: Avoid toolset ambiguity that MSVC can't handle (Hennadii Stepanov)
55af112565aefc9167877076d6ee4dae991dcd6d p2p: do not make automatic outbound connections to addnode peers (Jon Atack)
5e0bcc1977ea1efe3888c8fcd0991f3116ab1125 ci: Switch from `apt` to `apt-get` (Hennadii Stepanov)
437a5316e50b7906780105bea6094ea7c6a34ddd ci: Update apt cache (Hennadii Stepanov)
1488648104718fe727e4a0784120cc95bf232bdb pool: change memusage_test to use int64_t, add allocation check (Martin Leitner-Ankerl)
bcc183cccefdc84a09e43965d6b88a8bec3a5446 pool: make sure PoolAllocator uses the correct alignment (Martin Leitner-Ankerl)
7dda4991a875ca9bd9f79b3d52b12837ad7f92f1 doc: regenerate example bitcoin.conf (fanquake)
5845331a6c57c25c873818ad165516a5df29b099 doc: rewrite explanation for -par= (fanquake)

Pull request description:

  Currently backports:
  * https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28858
  * https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28895 (partial)
  * https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28913
  * https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28905
  * https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28919
  * https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28925

  Also includes changes for rc3, and reintegrating the release-notes.

ACKs for top commit:
  hebasto:
    re-ACK 2f86d3053314c382dfce5cf314e98811ed433859, only https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28919 backported since my [recent](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/28872#pullrequestreview-1744950215) review.
  TheCharlatan:
    ACK 2f86d3053314c382dfce5cf314e98811ed433859

Tree-SHA512: 43c91b344d37f582081ac184ac59cf76c741317b2b69a24fcd4287eefa8333e20c545e150798f4057d6f4ac8e70ed9cba1c8dd9777b11c1cf8992cce09108727

17 files changed, 440 insertions, 61 deletions

diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c1e171c0e3..e8564c3a28 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ jobs:
           # ancestors from the rev-list output as described in:
           # https://git-scm.com/docs/git-rev-list
           echo "TEST_BASE=$(git rev-list -n$((${{ env.MAX_COUNT }} + 1)) --reverse HEAD ^$(git rev-list -n1 --merges HEAD)^@ | head -1)" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-      - run: sudo apt install clang ccache build-essential libtool autotools-dev automake pkg-config bsdmainutils python3-zmq libevent-dev libboost-dev libsqlite3-dev libdb++-dev systemtap-sdt-dev libminiupnpc-dev libnatpmp-dev libqt5gui5 libqt5core5a libqt5dbus5 qttools5-dev qttools5-dev-tools qtwayland5 libqrencode-dev -y
+      - run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install clang ccache build-essential libtool autotools-dev automake pkg-config bsdmainutils python3-zmq libevent-dev libboost-dev libsqlite3-dev libdb++-dev systemtap-sdt-dev libminiupnpc-dev libnatpmp-dev libqt5gui5 libqt5core5a libqt5dbus5 qttools5-dev qttools5-dev-tools qtwayland5 libqrencode-dev -y
       - name: Compile and run tests
         run: |
           # Run tests on commits after the last merge commit and before the PR head commit
@@ -137,29 +139,47 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Fix Visual Studio installation
-        # See: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/issues/7832#issuecomment-1617585694.
+        # Avoid toolset ambiguity that MSVC can't handle.
         run: |
           Set-Location "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\"
           $InstallPath = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise"
           $componentsToRemove= @(
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ARM"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ARM.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ARM64"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ARM64.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.x86.x64"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.x86.x64.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ATL"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ATL.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ATL.ARM"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ATL.ARM.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ATL.ARM64"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.ATL.ARM64.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.MFC"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.MFC.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.MFC.ARM"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.MFC.ARM.Spectre"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.MFC.ARM64"
-            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.35.17.5.MFC.ARM64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ARM.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ARM"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ARM64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ARM64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ATL.ARM.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ATL.ARM"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ATL.ARM64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ATL.ARM64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ATL.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.ATL"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.MFC.ARM.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.MFC.ARM"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.MFC.ARM64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.MFC.ARM64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.MFC.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.MFC"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.x86.x64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.37.17.7.x86.x64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ARM"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ARM.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ARM64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ARM64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ATL"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ATL.ARM"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ATL.ARM.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ATL.ARM64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ATL.ARM64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.ATL.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.MFC"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.MFC.ARM"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.MFC.ARM.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.MFC.ARM64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.MFC.ARM64.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.MFC.Spectre"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.x86.x64"
+            "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.14.38.17.8.x86.x64.Spectre"
           )
           [string]$workloadArgs = $componentsToRemove | ForEach-Object {" --remove " +  $_}
           $Arguments = ('/c', "vs_installer.exe", 'modify', '--installPath', "`"$InstallPath`"",$workloadArgs, '--quiet', '--norestart', '--nocache')
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 11b40c31e1..c60322434d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ AC_PREREQ([2.69])
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MAJOR, 26)
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR, 0)
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_BUILD, 0)
-define(_CLIENT_VERSION_RC, 2)
+define(_CLIENT_VERSION_RC, 3)
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_IS_RELEASE, true)
 define(_COPYRIGHT_YEAR, 2023)
 define(_COPYRIGHT_HOLDERS,[The %s developers])
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
 CXXFLAGS="$TEMP_CXXFLAGS"
 
 # ARM
-AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-march=armv8-a+crc], [ARM_CRC_CXXFLAGS="-march=armv8-a+crc"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
+AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-march=armv8-a+crc+crypto], [ARM_CRC_CXXFLAGS="-march=armv8-a+crc+crypto"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
 AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-march=armv8-a+crypto], [ARM_SHANI_CXXFLAGS="-march=armv8-a+crypto"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
 
 TEMP_CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS"
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-cli.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-cli.1
index b70f532c05..33ddf36a3b 100644
--- a/doc/man/bitcoin-cli.1
+++ b/doc/man/bitcoin-cli.1
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.49.3.
-.TH BITCOIN-CLI "1" "October 2023" "bitcoin-cli v26.0.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-CLI "1" "November 2023" "bitcoin-cli v26.0.0rc3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-cli \- manual page for bitcoin-cli v26.0.0rc2
+bitcoin-cli \- manual page for bitcoin-cli v26.0.0rc3
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoin-cli
 [\fI\,options\/\fR] \fI\,<command> \/\fR[\fI\,params\/\fR]  \fI\,Send command to Bitcoin Core\/\fR
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ bitcoin-cli \- manual page for bitcoin-cli v26.0.0rc2
 .B bitcoin-cli
 [\fI\,options\/\fR] \fI\,help <command>      Get help for a command\/\fR
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core RPC client version v26.0.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core RPC client version v26.0.0rc3
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-qt.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-qt.1
index b45b4ff027..1e074e3ee1 100644
--- a/doc/man/bitcoin-qt.1
+++ b/doc/man/bitcoin-qt.1
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 .\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.49.3.
-.TH BITCOIN-QT "1" "October 2023" "bitcoin-qt v26.0.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-QT "1" "November 2023" "bitcoin-qt v26.0.0rc3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-qt \- manual page for bitcoin-qt v26.0.0rc2
+bitcoin-qt \- manual page for bitcoin-qt v26.0.0rc3
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoin-qt
 [\fI\,command-line options\/\fR]
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core version v26.0.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core version v26.0.0rc3
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ Do not keep transactions in the mempool longer than <n> hours (default:
 .HP
 \fB\-par=\fR<n>
 .IP
-Set the number of script verification threads (\fB\-10\fR to 15, 0 = auto, <0 =
+Set the number of script verification threads (0 = auto, up to 15, <0 =
 leave that many cores free, default: 0)
 .HP
 \fB\-persistmempool\fR
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-tx.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-tx.1
index 52f1e6e73c..d9020b4685 100644
--- a/doc/man/bitcoin-tx.1
+++ b/doc/man/bitcoin-tx.1
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.49.3.
-.TH BITCOIN-TX "1" "October 2023" "bitcoin-tx v26.0.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-TX "1" "November 2023" "bitcoin-tx v26.0.0rc3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-tx \- manual page for bitcoin-tx v26.0.0rc2
+bitcoin-tx \- manual page for bitcoin-tx v26.0.0rc3
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoin-tx
 [\fI\,options\/\fR] \fI\,<hex-tx> \/\fR[\fI\,commands\/\fR]  \fI\,Update hex-encoded bitcoin transaction\/\fR
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ bitcoin-tx \- manual page for bitcoin-tx v26.0.0rc2
 .B bitcoin-tx
 [\fI\,options\/\fR] \fI\,-create \/\fR[\fI\,commands\/\fR]   \fI\,Create hex-encoded bitcoin transaction\/\fR
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-tx utility version v26.0.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-tx utility version v26.0.0rc3
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-util.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-util.1
index bd96107e09..5ba672b010 100644
--- a/doc/man/bitcoin-util.1
+++ b/doc/man/bitcoin-util.1
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 .\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.49.3.
-.TH BITCOIN-UTIL "1" "October 2023" "bitcoin-util v26.0.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-UTIL "1" "November 2023" "bitcoin-util v26.0.0rc3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-util \- manual page for bitcoin-util v26.0.0rc2
+bitcoin-util \- manual page for bitcoin-util v26.0.0rc3
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoin-util
 [\fI\,options\/\fR] [\fI\,commands\/\fR]  \fI\,Do stuff\/\fR
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-util utility version v26.0.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-util utility version v26.0.0rc3
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-wallet.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-wallet.1
index da856035a7..5bf09f1db4 100644
--- a/doc/man/bitcoin-wallet.1
+++ b/doc/man/bitcoin-wallet.1
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 .\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.49.3.
-.TH BITCOIN-WALLET "1" "October 2023" "bitcoin-wallet v26.0.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-WALLET "1" "November 2023" "bitcoin-wallet v26.0.0rc3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-wallet \- manual page for bitcoin-wallet v26.0.0rc2
+bitcoin-wallet \- manual page for bitcoin-wallet v26.0.0rc3
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-wallet version v26.0.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-wallet version v26.0.0rc3
 .PP
 bitcoin\-wallet is an offline tool for creating and interacting with Bitcoin Core wallet files.
 By default bitcoin\-wallet will act on wallets in the default mainnet wallet directory in the datadir.
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoind.1 b/doc/man/bitcoind.1
index d44c9bb6c4..01b2ea4858 100644
--- a/doc/man/bitcoind.1
+++ b/doc/man/bitcoind.1
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 .\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.49.3.
-.TH BITCOIND "1" "October 2023" "bitcoind v26.0.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIND "1" "November 2023" "bitcoind v26.0.0rc3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoind \- manual page for bitcoind v26.0.0rc2
+bitcoind \- manual page for bitcoind v26.0.0rc3
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoind
 [\fI\,options\/\fR]                     \fI\,Start Bitcoin Core\/\fR
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core version v26.0.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core version v26.0.0rc3
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ Do not keep transactions in the mempool longer than <n> hours (default:
 .HP
 \fB\-par=\fR<n>
 .IP
-Set the number of script verification threads (\fB\-10\fR to 15, 0 = auto, <0 =
+Set the number of script verification threads (0 = auto, up to 15, <0 =
 leave that many cores free, default: 0)
 .HP
 \fB\-persistmempool\fR
diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md
index b40e1296d0..23bdfd7dd6 100644
--- a/doc/release-notes.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes.md
@@ -1 +1,335 @@
-See https://github.com/bitcoin-core/bitcoin-devwiki/wiki/26.0%E2%80%90Release%E2%80%90Notes%E2%80%90Draft.
\ No newline at end of file
+26.0 rc3 Release Notes
+======================
+
+Bitcoin Core version 26.0 is now available from:
+
+  <https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-26.0/>
+
+This release includes new features, various bug fixes and performance
+improvements, as well as updated translations.
+
+Please report bugs using the issue tracker at GitHub:
+
+  <https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues>
+
+To receive security and update notifications, please subscribe to:
+
+  <https://bitcoincore.org/en/list/announcements/join/>
+
+How to Upgrade
+==============
+
+If you are running an older version, shut it down. Wait until it has completely
+shut down (which might take a few minutes in some cases), then run the
+installer (on Windows) or just copy over `/Applications/Bitcoin-Qt` (on macOS)
+or `bitcoind`/`bitcoin-qt` (on Linux).
+
+Upgrading directly from a version of Bitcoin Core that has reached its EOL is
+possible, but it might take some time if the data directory needs to be migrated. Old
+wallet versions of Bitcoin Core are generally supported.
+
+Compatibility
+==============
+
+Bitcoin Core is supported and extensively tested on operating systems
+using the Linux kernel, macOS 11.0+, and Windows 7 and newer.  Bitcoin
+Core should also work on most other Unix-like systems but is not as
+frequently tested on them.  It is not recommended to use Bitcoin Core on
+unsupported systems.
+
+Notable changes
+===============
+
+P2P and network changes
+-----------------------
+
+- Experimental support for the v2 transport protocol defined in
+  [BIP324](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0324.mediawiki) was added.
+  It is off by default, but when enabled using `-v2transport` it will be negotiated
+  on a per-connection basis with other peers that support it too. The existing
+  v1 transport protocol remains fully supported.
+
+- Nodes with multiple reachable networks will actively try to have at least one
+  outbound connection to each network. This improves individual resistance to
+  eclipse attacks and network level resistance to partition attacks. Users no
+  longer need to perform active measures to ensure being connected to multiple
+  enabled networks. (#27213)
+
+Pruning
+-------
+
+- When using assumeutxo with `-prune`, the prune budget may be exceeded if it is set
+  lower than 1100MB (i.e. `MIN_DISK_SPACE_FOR_BLOCK_FILES * 2`). Prune budget is normally
+  split evenly across each chainstate, unless the resulting prune budget per chainstate
+  is beneath `MIN_DISK_SPACE_FOR_BLOCK_FILES` in which case that value will be used. (#27596)
+
+Updated RPCs
+------------
+
+- Setting `-rpcserialversion=0` is deprecated and will be removed in
+  a future release. It can currently still be used by also adding
+  the `-deprecatedrpc=serialversion` option. (#28448)
+
+- The `hash_serialized_2` value has been removed from `gettxoutsetinfo` since the value it
+  calculated contained a bug and did not take all data into account. It is superseded by
+  `hash_serialized_3` which provides the same functionality but serves the correctly calculated hash. (#28685)
+
+- New fields `transport_protocol_type` and `session_id` were added to the `getpeerinfo` RPC to indicate
+  whether the v2 transport protocol is in use, and if so, what the session id is.
+
+- A new argument `v2transport` was added to the `addnode` RPC to indicate whether a v2 transaction connection
+  is to be attempted with the peer.
+
+- [Miniscript](https://bitcoin.sipa.be/miniscript/) expressions can now be used in Taproot descriptors for all RPCs working with descriptors. (#27255)
+
+- `finalizepsbt` is now able to finalize a PSBT with inputs spending [Miniscript](https://bitcoin.sipa.be/miniscript/)-compatible Taproot leaves. (#27255)
+
+Changes to wallet related RPCs can be found in the Wallet section below.
+
+New RPCs
+--------
+
+- `loadtxoutset` has been added, which allows loading a UTXO snapshot of the format
+  generated by `dumptxoutset`. Once this snapshot is loaded, its contents will be
+  deserialized into a second chainstate data structure, which is then used to sync to
+  the network's tip.
+
+  Meanwhile, the original chainstate will complete the initial block download process in
+  the background, eventually validating up to the block that the snapshot is based upon.
+
+  The result is a usable bitcoind instance that is current with the network tip in a
+  matter of minutes rather than hours. UTXO snapshot are typically obtained via
+  third-party sources (HTTP, torrent, etc.) which is reasonable since their contents
+  are always checked by hash.
+
+  You can find more information on this process in the `assumeutxo` design
+  document (<https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/design/assumeutxo.md>).
+
+  `getchainstates` has been added to aid in monitoring the assumeutxo sync process.
+
+- A new `getprioritisedtransactions` RPC has been added. It returns a map of all fee deltas created by the
+  user with prioritisetransaction, indexed by txid. The map also indicates whether each transaction is
+  present in the mempool. (#27501)
+
+- A new RPC, `submitpackage`, has been added. It can be used to submit a list of raw hex
+transactions to the mempool to be evaluated as a package using consensus and mempool policy rules.
+These policies include package CPFP, allowing a child with high fees to bump a parent below the
+mempool minimum feerate (but not minimum relay feerate). (#27609)
+
+  - Warning: successful submission does not mean the transactions will propagate throughout the
+    network, as package relay is not supported.
+
+  - Not all features are available. The package is limited to a child with all of its
+    unconfirmed parents, and no parent may spend the output of another parent.  Also, package
+    RBF is not supported. Refer to doc/policy/packages.md for more details on package policies
+    and limitations.
+
+  - This RPC is experimental. Its interface may change.
+
+- A new RPC `getaddrmaninfo` has been added to view the distribution of addresses in the new and tried table of the
+  node's address manager across different networks(ipv4, ipv6, onion, i2p, cjdns). The RPC returns count of addresses
+  in new and tried table as well as their sum for all networks. (#27511)
+
+- A new `importmempool` RPC has been added. It loads a valid `mempool.dat` file and attempts to
+  add its contents to the mempool. This can be useful to import mempool data from another node
+  without having to modify the datadir contents and without having to restart the node. (#27460)
+    - Warning: Importing untrusted files is dangerous, especially if metadata from the file is taken over.
+    - If you want to apply fee deltas, it is recommended to use the `getprioritisedtransactions` and
+      `prioritisetransaction` RPCs instead of the `apply_fee_delta_priority` option to avoid
+      double-prioritising any already-prioritised transactions in the mempool.
+
+Updated settings
+----------------
+
+- `bitcoind` and `bitcoin-qt` will now raise an error on startup
+ if a datadir that is being used contains a bitcoin.conf file that
+ will be ignored, which can happen when a datadir= line is used in
+ a bitcoin.conf file. The error message is just a diagnostic intended
+ to prevent accidental misconfiguration, and it can be disabled to
+ restore the previous behavior of using the datadir while ignoring
+ the bitcoin.conf contained in it. (#27302)
+
+- Passing an invalid `-debug`, `-debugexclude`, or `-loglevel` logging configuration
+  option now raises an error, rather than logging an easily missed warning. (#27632)
+
+Changes to GUI or wallet related settings can be found in the GUI or Wallet section below.
+
+New settings
+------------
+
+Tools and Utilities
+-------------------
+
+- A new `bitcoinconsensus_verify_script_with_spent_outputs` function is available in libconsensus which optionally accepts the spent outputs of the transaction being verified.
+- A new `bitcoinconsensus_SCRIPT_FLAGS_VERIFY_TAPROOT` flag is available in libconsensus that will verify scripts with the Taproot spending rules.
+
+Wallet
+------
+
+- Wallet loading has changed in this release. Wallets with some corrupted records that could be
+  previously loaded (with warnings) may no longer load. For example, wallets with corrupted
+  address book entries may no longer load. If this happens, it is recommended
+  load the wallet in a previous version of Bitcoin Core and import the data into a new wallet.
+  Please also report an issue to help improve the software and make wallet loading more robust
+  in these cases. (#24914)
+
+- The `gettransaction`, `listtransactions`, `listsinceblock` RPCs now return
+  the `abandoned` field for all transactions. Previously, the "abandoned" field
+  was only returned for sent transactions. (#25158)
+
+- The `listdescriptors`, `decodepsbt` and similar RPC methods now show `h` rather than apostrophe (`'`) to indicate
+  hardened derivation. This does not apply when using the `private` parameter, which
+  matches the marker used when descriptor was generated or imported. Newly created
+  wallets use `h`. This change makes it easier to handle descriptor strings manually.
+  E.g. the `importdescriptors` RPC call is easiest to use `h` as the marker: `'["desc": ".../0h/..."]'`.
+  With this change `listdescriptors` will use `h`, so you can copy-paste the result,
+  without having to add escape characters or switch `'` to 'h' manually.
+  Note that this changes the descriptor checksum.
+  For legacy wallets the `hdkeypath` field in `getaddressinfo` is unchanged,
+  nor is the serialization format of wallet dumps. (#26076)
+
+- The `getbalances` RPC now returns a `lastprocessedblock` JSON object which contains the wallet's last processed block
+  hash and height at the time the balances were calculated. This result shouldn't be cached because importing new keys could invalidate it. (#26094)
+
+- The `gettransaction` RPC now returns a `lastprocessedblock` JSON object which contains the wallet's last processed block
+  hash and height at the time the transaction information was generated. (#26094)
+
+- The `getwalletinfo` RPC now returns a `lastprocessedblock` JSON object which contains the wallet's last processed block
+  hash and height at the time the wallet information was generated. (#26094)
+
+- Coin selection and transaction building now accounts for unconfirmed low-feerate ancestor transactions. When it is necessary to spend unconfirmed outputs, the wallet will add fees to ensure that the new transaction with its ancestors will achieve a mining score equal to the feerate requested by the user. (#26152)
+
+- For RPC methods which accept `options` parameters ((`importmulti`, `listunspent`,
+  `fundrawtransaction`, `bumpfee`, `send`, `sendall`, `walletcreatefundedpsbt`,
+  `simulaterawtransaction`), it is now possible to pass the options as named
+  parameters without the need for a nested object. (#26485)
+
+This means it is possible make calls like:
+
+```sh
+src/bitcoin-cli -named bumpfee txid fee_rate=100
+```
+
+instead of
+
+```sh
+src/bitcoin-cli -named bumpfee txid options='{"fee_rate": 100}'
+```
+
+- The `deprecatedrpc=walletwarningfield` configuration option has been removed.
+  The `createwallet`, `loadwallet`, `restorewallet` and `unloadwallet` RPCs no
+  longer return the "warning" string field. The same information is provided
+  through the "warnings" field added in v25.0, which returns a JSON array of
+  strings. The "warning" string field was deprecated also in v25.0. (#27757)
+
+- The `signrawtransactionwithkey`, `signrawtransactionwithwallet`,
+  `walletprocesspsbt` and `descriptorprocesspsbt` calls now return the more
+  specific RPC_INVALID_PARAMETER error instead of RPC_MISC_ERROR if their
+  sighashtype argument is malformed. (#28113)
+
+- RPC `walletprocesspsbt`, and `descriptorprocesspsbt` return
+  object now includes field `hex` (if the transaction
+  is complete) containing the serialized transaction
+  suitable for RPC `sendrawtransaction`. (#28414)
+
+- It's now possible to use [Miniscript](https://bitcoin.sipa.be/miniscript/) inside Taproot leaves for descriptor wallets. (#27255)
+
+GUI changes
+-----------
+
+- The transaction list in the GUI no longer provides a special category for "payment to yourself". Now transactions that have both inputs and outputs that affect the wallet are displayed on separate lines for spending and receiving. (gui#119)
+
+- A new menu option allows migrating a legacy wallet based on keys and implied output script types stored in BerkeleyDB (BDB) to a modern wallet that uses descriptors stored in SQLite. (gui#738)
+
+- The PSBT operations dialog marks outputs paying your own wallet with "own address". (gui#740)
+
+- The ability to create legacy wallets is being removed. (gui#764)
+
+Low-level changes
+=================
+
+Tests
+-----
+
+- Non-standard transactions are now disabled by default on testnet
+  for relay and mempool acceptance. The previous behaviour can be
+  re-enabled by setting `-acceptnonstdtxn=1`. (#28354)
+
+Credits
+=======
+
+Thanks to everyone who directly contributed to this release:
+
+- 0xb10c
+- Amiti Uttarwar
+- Andrew Chow
+- Andrew Toth
+- Anthony Towns
+- Antoine Poinsot
+- Antoine Riard
+- Ari
+- Aurèle Oulès
+- Ayush Singh
+- Ben Woosley
+- Brandon Odiwuor
+- Brotcrunsher
+- brunoerg
+- Bufo
+- Carl Dong
+- Casey Carter
+- Cory Fields
+- David Álvarez Rosa
+- dergoegge
+- dhruv
+- dimitaracev
+- Erik Arvstedt
+- Erik McKelvey
+- Fabian Jahr
+- furszy
+- glozow
+- Greg Sanders
+- Harris
+- Hennadii Stepanov
+- Hernan Marino
+- ishaanam
+- ismaelsadeeq
+- Jake Rawsthorne
+- James O'Beirne
+- John Moffett
+- Jon Atack
+- josibake
+- kevkevin
+- Kiminuo
+- Larry Ruane
+- Luke Dashjr
+- MarcoFalke
+- Marnix
+- Martin Leitner-Ankerl
+- Martin Zumsande
+- Matthew Zipkin
+- Michael Ford
+- Michael Tidwell
+- mruddy
+- Murch
+- ns-xvrn
+- pablomartin4btc
+- Pieter Wuille
+- Reese Russell
+- Rhythm Garg
+- Ryan Ofsky
+- Sebastian Falbesoner
+- Sjors Provoost
+- stickies-v
+- stratospher
+- Suhas Daftuar
+- TheCharlatan
+- Tim Neubauer
+- Tim Ruffing
+- Vasil Dimov
+- virtu
+- vuittont60
+- willcl-ark
+- Yusuf Sahin HAMZA
+
+As well as to everyone that helped with translations on
+[Transifex](https://www.transifex.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/).
diff --git a/share/examples/bitcoin.conf b/share/examples/bitcoin.conf
index fe1e8be09a..0470acd300 100644
--- a/share/examples/bitcoin.conf
+++ b/share/examples/bitcoin.conf
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
 # 336)
 #mempoolexpiry=<n>
 
-# Set the number of script verification threads (-10 to 15, 0 = auto, <0 =
+# Set the number of script verification threads (0 = auto, up to 15, <0 =
 # leave that many cores free, default: 0)
 #par=<n>
 
diff --git a/src/bench/pool.cpp b/src/bench/pool.cpp
index b3e54d85a2..b2a5f8debf 100644
--- a/src/bench/pool.cpp
+++ b/src/bench/pool.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ static void PoolAllocator_StdUnorderedMapWithPoolResource(benchmark::Bench& benc
                                    std::hash<uint64_t>,
                                    std::equal_to<uint64_t>,
                                    PoolAllocator<std::pair<const uint64_t, uint64_t>,
-                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const uint64_t, uint64_t>) + 4 * sizeof(void*),
-                                                 alignof(void*)>>;
+                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const uint64_t, uint64_t>) + 4 * sizeof(void*)>>;
 
     // make sure the resource supports large enough pools to hold the node. We do this by adding the size of a few pointers to it.
     auto pool_resource = Map::allocator_type::ResourceType();
diff --git a/src/coins.h b/src/coins.h
index a6cbb03133..bbf9e3895f 100644
--- a/src/coins.h
+++ b/src/coins.h
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ using CCoinsMap = std::unordered_map<COutPoint,
                                      SaltedOutpointHasher,
                                      std::equal_to<COutPoint>,
                                      PoolAllocator<std::pair<const COutPoint, CCoinsCacheEntry>,
-                                                   sizeof(std::pair<const COutPoint, CCoinsCacheEntry>) + sizeof(void*) * 4,
-                                                   alignof(void*)>>;
+                                                   sizeof(std::pair<const COutPoint, CCoinsCacheEntry>) + sizeof(void*) * 4>>;
 
 using CCoinsMapMemoryResource = CCoinsMap::allocator_type::ResourceType;
 
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 42331d37e8..8baa642d30 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -455,8 +455,8 @@ void SetupServerArgs(ArgsManager& argsman)
     argsman.AddArg("-maxorphantx=<n>", strprintf("Keep at most <n> unconnectable transactions in memory (default: %u)", DEFAULT_MAX_ORPHAN_TRANSACTIONS), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     argsman.AddArg("-mempoolexpiry=<n>", strprintf("Do not keep transactions in the mempool longer than <n> hours (default: %u)", DEFAULT_MEMPOOL_EXPIRY_HOURS), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     argsman.AddArg("-minimumchainwork=<hex>", strprintf("Minimum work assumed to exist on a valid chain in hex (default: %s, testnet: %s, signet: %s)", defaultChainParams->GetConsensus().nMinimumChainWork.GetHex(), testnetChainParams->GetConsensus().nMinimumChainWork.GetHex(), signetChainParams->GetConsensus().nMinimumChainWork.GetHex()), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY | ArgsManager::DEBUG_ONLY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
-    argsman.AddArg("-par=<n>", strprintf("Set the number of script verification threads (%u to %d, 0 = auto, <0 = leave that many cores free, default: %d)",
-        -GetNumCores(), MAX_SCRIPTCHECK_THREADS, DEFAULT_SCRIPTCHECK_THREADS), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
+    argsman.AddArg("-par=<n>", strprintf("Set the number of script verification threads (0 = auto, up to %d, <0 = leave that many cores free, default: %d)",
+        MAX_SCRIPTCHECK_THREADS, DEFAULT_SCRIPTCHECK_THREADS), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     argsman.AddArg("-persistmempool", strprintf("Whether to save the mempool on shutdown and load on restart (default: %u)", DEFAULT_PERSIST_MEMPOOL), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     argsman.AddArg("-pid=<file>", strprintf("Specify pid file. Relative paths will be prefixed by a net-specific datadir location. (default: %s)", BITCOIN_PID_FILENAME), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     argsman.AddArg("-prune=<n>", strprintf("Reduce storage requirements by enabling pruning (deleting) of old blocks. This allows the pruneblockchain RPC to be called to delete specific blocks and enables automatic pruning of old blocks if a target size in MiB is provided. This mode is incompatible with -txindex. "
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index 09a3d8617a..5305e1148a 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -2714,6 +2714,17 @@ void CConnman::ThreadOpenConnections(const std::vector<std::string> connect)
                 continue;
             }
 
+            // Do not make automatic outbound connections to addnode peers, to
+            // not use our limited outbound slots for them and to ensure
+            // addnode connections benefit from their intended protections.
+            if (AddedNodesContain(addr)) {
+                LogPrintLevel(BCLog::NET, BCLog::Level::Debug, "Not making automatic %s%s connection to %s peer selected for manual (addnode) connection%s\n",
+                              preferred_net.has_value() ? "network-specific " : "",
+                              ConnectionTypeAsString(conn_type), GetNetworkName(addr.GetNetwork()),
+                              fLogIPs ? strprintf(": %s", addr.ToStringAddrPort()) : "");
+                continue;
+            }
+
             addrConnect = addr;
             break;
         }
@@ -3447,6 +3458,17 @@ bool CConnman::RemoveAddedNode(const std::string& strNode)
     return false;
 }
 
+bool CConnman::AddedNodesContain(const CAddress& addr) const
+{
+    AssertLockNotHeld(m_added_nodes_mutex);
+    const std::string addr_str{addr.ToStringAddr()};
+    const std::string addr_port_str{addr.ToStringAddrPort()};
+    LOCK(m_added_nodes_mutex);
+    return (m_added_node_params.size() < 24 // bound the query to a reasonable limit
+            && std::any_of(m_added_node_params.cbegin(), m_added_node_params.cend(),
+                           [&](const auto& p) { return p.m_added_node == addr_str || p.m_added_node == addr_port_str; }));
+}
+
 size_t CConnman::GetNodeCount(ConnectionDirection flags) const
 {
     LOCK(m_nodes_mutex);
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index ddee34168a..57426977fb 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -1189,6 +1189,7 @@ public:
 
     bool AddNode(const AddedNodeParams& add) EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(!m_added_nodes_mutex);
     bool RemoveAddedNode(const std::string& node) EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(!m_added_nodes_mutex);
+    bool AddedNodesContain(const CAddress& addr) const EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(!m_added_nodes_mutex);
     std::vector<AddedNodeInfo> GetAddedNodeInfo() const EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(!m_added_nodes_mutex);
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/support/allocators/pool.h b/src/support/allocators/pool.h
index c8e70ebacf..873e260b65 100644
--- a/src/support/allocators/pool.h
+++ b/src/support/allocators/pool.h
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public:
 /**
  * Forwards all allocations/deallocations to the PoolResource.
  */
-template <class T, std::size_t MAX_BLOCK_SIZE_BYTES, std::size_t ALIGN_BYTES>
+template <class T, std::size_t MAX_BLOCK_SIZE_BYTES, std::size_t ALIGN_BYTES = alignof(T)>
 class PoolAllocator
 {
     PoolResource<MAX_BLOCK_SIZE_BYTES, ALIGN_BYTES>* m_resource;
diff --git a/src/test/pool_tests.cpp b/src/test/pool_tests.cpp
index 8a07e09a44..5ad4afa3a1 100644
--- a/src/test/pool_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/pool_tests.cpp
@@ -156,21 +156,20 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(random_allocations)
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(memusage_test)
 {
-    auto std_map = std::unordered_map<int, int>{};
-
-    using Map = std::unordered_map<int,
-                                   int,
-                                   std::hash<int>,
-                                   std::equal_to<int>,
-                                   PoolAllocator<std::pair<const int, int>,
-                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const int, int>) + sizeof(void*) * 4,
-                                                 alignof(void*)>>;
+    auto std_map = std::unordered_map<int64_t, int64_t>{};
+
+    using Map = std::unordered_map<int64_t,
+                                   int64_t,
+                                   std::hash<int64_t>,
+                                   std::equal_to<int64_t>,
+                                   PoolAllocator<std::pair<const int64_t, int64_t>,
+                                                 sizeof(std::pair<const int64_t, int64_t>) + sizeof(void*) * 4>>;
     auto resource = Map::allocator_type::ResourceType(1024);
 
     PoolResourceTester::CheckAllDataAccountedFor(resource);
 
     {
-        auto resource_map = Map{0, std::hash<int>{}, std::equal_to<int>{}, &resource};
+        auto resource_map = Map{0, std::hash<int64_t>{}, std::equal_to<int64_t>{}, &resource};
 
         // can't have the same resource usage
         BOOST_TEST(memusage::DynamicUsage(std_map) != memusage::DynamicUsage(resource_map));
@@ -182,6 +181,11 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(memusage_test)
 
         // Eventually the resource_map should have a much lower memory usage because it has less malloc overhead
         BOOST_TEST(memusage::DynamicUsage(resource_map) <= memusage::DynamicUsage(std_map) * 90 / 100);
+
+        // Make sure the pool is actually used by the nodes
+        auto max_nodes_per_chunk = resource.ChunkSizeBytes() / sizeof(Map::value_type);
+        auto min_num_allocated_chunks = resource_map.size() / max_nodes_per_chunk + 1;
+        BOOST_TEST(resource.NumAllocatedChunks() >= min_num_allocated_chunks);
     }
 
     PoolResourceTester::CheckAllDataAccountedFor(resource);