Hedera will update its public testnet to services v0.68 today, December eighth at 18:00 UTC. The work is anticipated to take roughly 40 minutes and there could also be temporary disruptions to testnet services during this window. The upgrade affects the testnet network and individual nodes 0 to six. Mainnet operations are usually not a part of this update.
Hedera's node account IDs grow to be updatable. No necessary changes for applications
Source: X
The release of v0.68 is the newest step in a series of testnet deployments accomplished in recent weeks, including v0.68.2 and v0.68.3. The current changes prepare the network for a planned mainnet rollout on December tenth, which can see the identical upgrades applied to production systems.
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Hedera's node account IDs grow to be updatable
Release notes for v0.68 show two core enhancements to the consensus node layer: Dynamic Address Book (HIP-1299) and Generalized Scheduled Contract Invocations (HIP-1215).
HIP-1299 allows node operators to update their node account IDs without removing or redeploying network entries. In previous versions, node IDs were treated as fixed, meaning changes to custody or account structure required more work. With v0.68, operators can customize IDs while node entry stays energetic and rewards remain allocated to the proper account.
HIP-1215 introduces scheduled contract calls on-chain. Developers can request a sensible contract to initiate a call at an outlined time, with a selected gas limit and a particular payer account. Previously, these actions required off-chain bots or additional user transactions. The recent method uses the Hedera Schedule Service through a system contract without changing transaction types or receipts.
Both features apply only to the Hiero consensus node software and don’t require dApps to alter their APIs or transaction formats.
No necessary changes for applications
The Hedera team notes that the client-side API stays the identical and the update doesn’t change transaction semantics. Developers are advised to not depend on static node account ID values as IDs can now change on the operator level. Existing deployments will proceed to work, but infrastructure tools and monitoring systems may update their node identity assumptions.
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The update also includes internal improvements to dam synchronization and network management. These changes are a part of the v0.68 branch, which moves through previewnet, testnet after which mainnet in a typical release cycle.
The December eighth window is classed as planned maintenance. The note said the work could disrupt testnet activity while nodes transition to the new edition. Once deployed, the nodes run services v0.68.3, which correspond to the builds utilized in previous testnet runs.
In parallel with the launch of v0.68, Hedera has released a separate change for January 25, 2026, where the worth of ConsensusSubmitMessage transactions under version v0.69 will increase from $0.0001 to $0.0008. This price change shouldn’t be a part of the December eighth update, but appears on the identical release calendar.
Source: Hedera Hashgraph
The v0.68 upgrade continues Hedera's pattern of releasing recent software on the testnet before a mainnet transition. The sequence gives developers time to customize the infrastructure and confirm expected behavior without changing the applying code.
The release follows recent network activity, including the milestone of greater than 9 million Hedera accounts on mainnet and extra institutional access channels for HBAR through regulated custody and ETF products. These developments are outside the scope of the upgrade, but will contribute to overall network usage when the software goes into production.
