[yperbasis]

Set the app version to 3.8.1 and add release notes highlighting the removal of Hoodi's October 26 Glamsterdam activation, with the upgrade deadline and a link to the Ethereum Foundation announcement.

Cover important user-facing fixes since v3.8.0, including #25257 and #25269, and assume #25287 lands before tagging 3.8.1. Include Caplin archive upgrade and downgrade caveats. Omit minor and infrastructure-only changes.

Set the 3.8.0 release date to 2026-10-20, matching its GitHub publication date.

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The changes are limited to release metadata and documentation, with no unresolved blocking issues identified.

No open issues 🎉

What changed in this PR

Prepares Erigon 3.8.1 with a patch-version bump and release notes focused on operator actions and user-facing fixes.

Changes:

• Sets the application version to 3.8.1.
• Documents Hoodi’s postponed Glamsterdam activation, the upgrade deadline, important fixes, and Caplin archive upgrade and downgrade caveats.
• Sets the 3.8.0 release date to 2026-10-20.

File	Description
db/​version/​app.go	Bumps the patch version from 0 to 1.
ChangeLog.md	Adds 3.8.1 release notes and dates the 3.8.0 release.

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The version bump and release notes match the stated release scope, with no unresolved findings.

No open issues 🎉

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[lystopad]

Checked against v3.8.0..release/3.8 (38 commits) and the open release/3.8 PRs. Everything listed is merged, descriptions and credits look right, and the Hoodi deadline matches epoch 132352 (17:42:48 UTC).

Possibly missing, user-facing:

• #25180 adds --caplin.payload-preparation.disable (not in 3.8.0) and hardens payload preparation.
• #25131: POST /eth/v1/beacon/pool/sync_committees now returns 400 for a validator outside the sync committee (was a silent 200) — tooling-visible, like the identity metadata change.
• Gloas performance (Sepolia): #25175, #25202, #25217, #25255, #25192, #25147, #25246 — one bullet, or skip on purpose while Hoodi Gloas is postponed.

If they land before the tag: #25287 (incl. #25253 boundary-block validation without a state copy, #25251 no fsync on fork-graph dumps), #25271 (rcache history files renamed to v3.2/v1.2 → regenerated receipts files are downloaded), #25289, #25276.

Nit: under "Data availability after downtime", worth saying #25148 does not fill gaps that already exist (users have asked, see #24704).

[domiwei]

Could #25287 also go into 3.8.1? It backports #25251, #25253, #25258 and #25259:

• fork-graph dump files are no longer fsynced. On Hoodi, a head-state dump held shared locks for up to 2.65 s;
• the first block of an epoch is validated without a copy of the parent state, which saves about 0.45 s per epoch from Fulu on;
• a fork choice head that moved when the proposer boost expired is published at the slot start;
• execution payload envelopes that arrived before their block are republished after they are processed.

The picks are patch-identical to the main PRs, which are in the merge queue now. Please do not hold the release for it: Hoodi operators need 3.8.1 before 26 October. If it lands before the tag, a possible line for the fixes section:

• Head updates and envelope propagation. Caplin stops fsyncing fork-graph dumps, validates the first block of an epoch without copying the parent state, publishes a head that moves at the slot start, and republishes execution payload envelopes that arrived before their block ([r3.8] cl: stop fsyncing fork-graph dumps, validate boundary blocks without a state copy, and republish moved heads and queued envelopes #25287) — by @domiwei

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The release-preparation changes are consistent with the stated scope, and the Hoodi schedule removal has already merged into release/3.8.

No open issues 🎉

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The documentation and version bump match the stated scope, assuming #25287 lands before tagging as specified.

No open issues 🎉

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The version bump and release notes match the stated scope, assuming PR #25287 lands before tagging 3.8.1.

No open issues 🎉

_{Review effort: Balanced}