Before downloading the new version of Bitcoin Core software, please check the signature, otherwise there is a risk of losing coins.

A warning article published by Bitcoin.org has attracted the attention of members of the Bitcoin community:

Bitcoin.org has reason to suspect that the binaries of the upcoming Bitcoin Core release could be targeted by state-sponsored attackers. As a website, Bitcoin.org does not have the necessary technical resources to protect ourselves from this type of attack. We ask the Bitcoin community, especially members of the Chinese Bitcoin community, to exercise extreme caution when downloading binaries from our website.

If you accidentally download binaries, you could lose all your bitcoins. This malware could also cause your computer to participate in attacks on the Bitcoin network. We believe that services such as Chinese mining pools and exchanges are at the greatest risk due to the source of the attackers.

Workaround

Bitcoin Core binary hashes are signed with this key.

We strongly recommend that you download this key, which should have the signature 01EA5486DE18A882D4C2684590C8019E36C2E964. You should verify the signature and hash before running any Bitcoin Core binary. This is also the safest way to confirm that the file you are running is provided by the Core developers.

However, this warning article also attracted suspicion from community members. /r/Bitcoin member kanzure replied:

“I would advise being skeptical and being cautious about people skipping the peer review process, even for security reasons. These situations, if not handled properly, can lead to unexpected panic, and panic of any kind does not help resolve the issue. However, everyone should always encourage checking signatures.”