10 files changed, 31 insertions, 25 deletions
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 702255ea51..d8fa7f9a68 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Homebrew packages
         env:
           HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALLED_DEPENDENTS_CHECK: 1
-        run: brew install automake libtool pkg-config gnu-getopt ccache boost libevent miniupnpc libnatpmp zeromq qt@5 qrencode
+        run: |
+          # A workaround for "The `brew link` step did not complete successfully" error.
+          brew install python@3 || brew link --overwrite python@3
+          brew install automake libtool pkg-config gnu-getopt ccache boost libevent miniupnpc libnatpmp zeromq qt@5 qrencode
 
       - name: Set Ccache directory
         run: echo "CCACHE_DIR=${RUNNER_TEMP}/ccache_dir" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
diff --git a/ci/test/00_setup_env_mac_native.sh b/ci/test/00_setup_env_mac_native.sh
index c9f65bf397..d9f831e4c5 100755
--- a/ci/test/00_setup_env_mac_native.sh
+++ b/ci/test/00_setup_env_mac_native.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 export LC_ALL=C.UTF-8
 
 export HOST=x86_64-apple-darwin
-export PIP_PACKAGES="zmq"
+# Homebrew's python@3.12 is marked as externally managed (PEP 668).
+# Therefore, `--break-system-packages` is needed.
+export PIP_PACKAGES="--break-system-packages zmq"
 export GOAL="install"
 export BITCOIN_CONFIG="--with-gui --with-miniupnpc --with-natpmp --enable-reduce-exports"
 export CI_OS_NAME="macos"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 56ea874b6b..5a7baf2a77 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ AC_PREREQ([2.69])
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MAJOR, 26)
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR, 1)
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_BUILD, 0)
-define(_CLIENT_VERSION_RC, 2)
+define(_CLIENT_VERSION_RC, 0)
 define(_CLIENT_VERSION_IS_RELEASE, true)
 define(_COPYRIGHT_YEAR, 2023)
 define(_COPYRIGHT_HOLDERS,[The %s developers])
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-cli.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-cli.1
index 4f6a81b50e..d07e853e9e 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 1.49.1.
-.TH BITCOIN-CLI "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-cli v26.1.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-CLI "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-cli v26.1.0" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-cli \- manual page for bitcoin-cli v26.1.0rc2
+bitcoin-cli \- manual page for bitcoin-cli v26.1.0
 .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 v26.1.0rc2
 .B bitcoin-cli
 [\fI\,options\/\fR] \fI\,help <command>      Get help for a command\/\fR
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core RPC client version v26.1.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core RPC client version v26.1.0
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-qt.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-qt.1
index 179588f4ce..7f5185415e 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 1.49.1.
-.TH BITCOIN-QT "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-qt v26.1.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-QT "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-qt v26.1.0" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-qt \- manual page for bitcoin-qt v26.1.0rc2
+bitcoin-qt \- manual page for bitcoin-qt v26.1.0
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoin-qt
 [\fI\,command-line options\/\fR]
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core version v26.1.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core version v26.1.0
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-tx.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-tx.1
index 8b06d4b587..aa863d4b90 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 1.49.1.
-.TH BITCOIN-TX "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-tx v26.1.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-TX "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-tx v26.1.0" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-tx \- manual page for bitcoin-tx v26.1.0rc2
+bitcoin-tx \- manual page for bitcoin-tx v26.1.0
 .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 v26.1.0rc2
 .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 v26.1.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-tx utility version v26.1.0
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-util.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-util.1
index 260cb592e8..d7db89571b 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 1.49.1.
-.TH BITCOIN-UTIL "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-util v26.1.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-UTIL "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-util v26.1.0" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-util \- manual page for bitcoin-util v26.1.0rc2
+bitcoin-util \- manual page for bitcoin-util v26.1.0
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoin-util
 [\fI\,options\/\fR] [\fI\,commands\/\fR]  \fI\,Do stuff\/\fR
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-util utility version v26.1.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-util utility version v26.1.0
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/man/bitcoin-wallet.1 b/doc/man/bitcoin-wallet.1
index 266a6305c8..af59992b9f 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 1.49.1.
-.TH BITCOIN-WALLET "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-wallet v26.1.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIN-WALLET "1" "March 2024" "bitcoin-wallet v26.1.0" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoin-wallet \- manual page for bitcoin-wallet v26.1.0rc2
+bitcoin-wallet \- manual page for bitcoin-wallet v26.1.0
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-wallet version v26.1.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core bitcoin\-wallet version v26.1.0
 .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 d22dde22bf..e2b3c54046 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 1.49.1.
-.TH BITCOIND "1" "March 2024" "bitcoind v26.1.0rc2" "User Commands"
+.TH BITCOIND "1" "March 2024" "bitcoind v26.1.0" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
-bitcoind \- manual page for bitcoind v26.1.0rc2
+bitcoind \- manual page for bitcoind v26.1.0
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B bitcoind
 [\fI\,options\/\fR]                     \fI\,Start Bitcoin Core\/\fR
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-Bitcoin Core version v26.1.0rc2
+Bitcoin Core version v26.1.0
 .SH OPTIONS
 .HP
 \-?
diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md
index bd4d3d548f..cb64d1bbe8 100644
--- a/doc/release-notes.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes.md
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-26.1rc1 Release Notes
+26.1 Release Notes
 ==================
 
-Bitcoin Core version 26.1rc1 is now available from:
+Bitcoin Core version 26.1 is now available from:
 
-  <https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-26.1/test.rc1/>
+  <https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-26.1/>
 
-This release includes new features, various bug fixes and performance
+This release includes various bug fixes and performance
 improvements, as well as updated translations.
 
 Please report bugs using the issue tracker at GitHub:
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ Notable changes
 
 - #28992 ci: Use Ubuntu 24.04 Noble for asan,tsan,tidy,fuzz
 - #29080 ci: Set HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALLED_DEPENDENTS_CHECK to avoid unrelated failures
+- #29610 ci: Fix "macOS native" job
 
 ### Miscellaneous