The Rootstock community has approved a set of consensus changes to be included in the upcoming Reed network upgrade. Reed will activate on Rootstock Mainnet on block 8,052,200. This is a mandatory upgrade; users who adhere to these changes must update their nodes to the latest version. The latest version of the RSKj client is now available for download in the RSKj GitHub repository.
What is a network upgrade?
A network upgrade is a set of changes to the protocol consensus rules, which are activated at a defined block number. All nodes in the network need to run a compatible client version implementing these new consensus rules. Consequently, if you adhere to these changes, you must upgrade to the new client version before the network upgrade is activated. Otherwise, the non-updated nodes will remain on an incompatible chain.
When will the network upgrade happen?
Rootstock Reed 8.0.0 will activate in Mainnet at block 8,052,200. According to the current conditions of the network, activation is likely to occur on October, 1st, 2025, at around 5 pm UTC. In the case of Rootstock Testnet, the upgrade will happen at block 6,835,700, which is expected to occur on September 17th, at around 6 pm UTC.
Please be aware that these dates can change depending on the network conditions, so it is recommended that users upgrade as soon as possible.
What changes are included in Reed 8.0.0?
The consensus changes included in this version are:
- Peg-out efficiency improvement (Segwit) (RSKIP-305)
- Precompiled contracts for +/* on Secp256k1 (RSKIP-516)
For a detailed description of each consensus change introduced in this network upgrade, please refer to RSKIP 518 Network Upgrade: Reed. You can also find a complete list of the changes introduced in the corresponding GitHub milestone.
Why this network upgrade matters?
Reduces peg-out costs
The Rootstock Reed upgrade activates Segwit support on the PowPeg, cutting peg-out costs by around 60% and making Rootstock even more accessible for users moving between Bitcoin and Rootstock. This milestone follows closely on the heels of the Lovell upgrade, which also delivered a 60% reduction in network transaction fees. Together, these upgrades highlight Rootstock’s rapid momentum in improving affordability, scalability, and usability.
Enables the expansion of the PowPeg pegnatories set
Reed introduces the technical improvements needed to expand the number of PowPeg pegnatories, strengthening decentralization and security in Rootstock’s core infrastructure. With this upgrade, the set can grow beyond its current 9 members, unlocking the possibility to scale up to 20 and paving the way toward a future with as many as 60 pegnatories.
Lays the foundation for the upcoming BitVMX-based Union bridge
The introduction of new Secp256k1 precompiled contracts paves the way for the Union Bridge—a trust-minimized, verifiable bridge powered by BitVMX technology. Reed marks the first in a series of releases leading toward the activation of the most decentralized Bitcoin bridge yet, expected to go live in late 2025.
Is there anything I need to consider when upgrading to Reed 8.0.0?
There is no other special consideration besides updating your node to the latest version before the network upgrade activation happens at the defined block numbers.
RSKj Reed 8.0.0’s sha256 sum is c16adff53b5b1714f184babf241aa053761510b44adb47f8aea49fc1525d4718 rskj-core-8.0.0-REED-all.jar.
See the Reproducible Build guide for further details.
How do I report security vulnerabilities?
If you find a security issue, please contact us at security@rootstocklabs.com or report it through RootstockLabs’ bug bounty program. We reward security experts, software developers, and hackers who dedicate time and effort to improving and protecting the Rootstock platform.
Do you have further questions?
Please contact us through our Rootstock Discord Server for technical questions and support.
You can also reach out with any feedback you would like to share with us through our social media channels and forums.
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