updates: publish 2024 Q4 update

Author: thunderbiscuit

docs/_blog/2024_q4_update.md

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+---
+title: "2024 Q4 Update: What Have We Been Up To?"
+description: "2024 Q4 Update on the Bitcoin Dev Kit Project"
+authors:
+    - thunderbiscuit
+date: "2025-01-15"
+tags: ["BDK", "project"]
+draft: false
+---
+
+The bitcoindevkit team was very proud to release the 1.0 stable version of our bdk_wallet API in Q4! It's been a long time coming, and all that testing, reviewing, refactoring, and polishing finally paid off. Onwards! 🎉
+
+Here are some of the notable releases and changes over Q4 to the software libraries we maintain:
+- **The bdk_wallet library is now 1.0.** If you've been with us for a while you know that this has been a big goal over the past year.
+- **The Book of BDK is live and out of beta.** Check out [https://bookofbdk.com](https://bookofbdk.com) for high-level documentation on a range of things related to the family of libraries we maintain.
+- **The work continued on Kyoto (Compact Block Filters client).** The [bdk-kyoto](https://github.com/bitcoindevkit/bdk-kyoto) library also moved into the [Bitcoin Dev Kit GitHub organization](). Congrats Rob!
+- **Triaging for the new feature release cadence.** We have agreed on a new, 8-week release cadence for the feature releases of 1.0 (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.). [You can see our milestones for those releases here](https://github.com/bitcoindevkit/bdk/milestones?direction=asc&sort=due_date&state=open). This should allow us to release stuff on a steady cadence. Look out for the things that didn't make it into the initial 1.0 but should be ready soon!
+- **Bugfix release 0.32.0.** We published a fix to the 0.31 library in December. Check it out if you're still migrating to the 1.0 API.
+
+The language bindings for iOS, Android, and Python have also seen some new beta releases and a ton of new features, in preparation for the 1.0 final release.
+- **Exposing Wallet and TxBuilder APIs.** Most of the `Wallet` and `TxBuilder` APIs from bdk_wallet are now available to language bindings users.
+- **Better and more useful clients.** Our Electrum and Esplora clients have more methods exposed and can perform more things Rust users can do on the language bindings.
+- **Docstrings are added to the library.** Leveraging a new feature of uniffi, this allows us to build API documentation for Kotlin, Swift, and Python once we're ready.
+- **Increase our use of bitcoin-ffi type.** The bitcoin-ffi library is becoming more useful, with review from ldk-node and Payjoin developers. We're leaning on it more, and intend to continue its development moving forward.
+
+### BDK Team in Action
+Full-time grants changes:
+- Our part-time grantee [Wei Chen](https://github.com/LagginTimes) transitioned into a full-time role! Welcome to the team Wei.
+In addition to our full-time grantees, the [BDK Foundation](https://bitcoindevkit.org/foundation/) provides part-time grants to folks on special projects. Q4 is funding 1 project in particular:
+- **Nymius.** [Nymius](https://github.com/nymius)'s been working on the clean up of the `filestore` crate as well as reviewing and helping the continuation of development for the `bdk_chain` and `bdk_core` crates.
+We've also been active at conferences!
+- [Leo](https://github.com/oleonardolima) presented a workshop on BDK at [SatsConf](https://www.satsconf.com.br/) in Sao Paulo!
+- [Rob](https://github.com/rustaceanrob) presented on the [Kyoto](https://github.com/rustaceanrob/kyoto) client at [TabConf](https://6.tabconf.com/) this year.
+- [Steve](https://github.com/notmandatory) also presented a workshop at [TabConf](https://6.tabconf.com/) on a demo axum async web based bdk wallet.
+- [Alekos](https://github.com/afilini) presented on BDK at [Adopting Bitcoin](https://sv24.adoptingbitcoin.org/) in El Salvador!
+
+### BDK in the Wild
+Q4 saw 3 new projects integrating BDK into their software:
+- [Alby](https://getalby.com/) is a browser extension that makes lightning and nostr easier to build on and use.
+- [TwentyTwo](https://twenty-two.xyz/) produces the first 100% open source mobile-native hardware wallet: designed to keep your keys safe and seamlessly integrate into any mobile wallet app.
+- The [Satoshi](https://satoshi.money/) app is live and is using BDK!