- Removed support for version 0 of the database as it is no longer used by any active node. [#5698](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5698)
### Additions and Improvements
- `evmtool` launcher binaries now ship as part of the standard distribution. [#5701](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5701)
- `evmtool` launcher binaries now ship as part of the standard distribution. [#5701](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5701)
- EvmTool now executes the `execution-spec-tests` via the `t8n` and `b11r`. See the [README](ethereum/evmtool/README.md) in EvmTool for more instructions.
- Improve lifecycle management of the transaction pool [#5634](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5634)
- Add extension points in AbstractCreateOperation for EVM libraries to react to contract creations [#5656](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5656)
- Update to Tuweni 2.4.2. [#5684](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5684)
- Decouple data field from Enum JsonRpcError by creating new enum holder RpcErrorType[#5629](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5629)
- Update to bouncycastle 1.75 [#5675](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5675)
- Update to bouncycastle 1.75 [#5675](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5675)
- Extend OperationTracer with new methods [#5662](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5662)
- Add new debug_getRawTransaction to the DEBUG engine [#5635](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5635)
@ -43,11 +42,18 @@
- Align the implementation of Eth/68 `NewPooledTransactionHashes` to other clients, using unsigned int for encoding size. [#5640](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5640)
- Failure at startup when enabling layered txpool before initial sync done [#5636](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/issues/5636)
- Remove miner-related option warnings if the change isn't using Ethash consensus algorithm [#5669](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5669)
- Fix for pending transactions reference leak [#5693](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5693)
- Fix for pending transactions reference leak [#5693](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5693)
- Address a performance regression observed in import testing [#5734](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5734)
- Update native libraries that have JPMS friendly module names [#5749](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/pull/5749)