Neo SPCC releases NeoGo v0.118.0 with VM refcounter optimizations, SDK enhancements

Neo SPCC has released NeoGo v0.118.0, delivering virtual machine reference counting optimizations, new SDK error handling capabilities, and CLI tooling improvements for the Go language Neo node implementation. The release maintains compatibility with C# node v3.9.2 and does not require a resync on upgrade.

The update follows last month’s v0.117.0 release, which introduced compiler enhancements and custom witness support for the notary service.

VM refcounter optimizations

The headline changes in v0.118.0 target the Neo VM’s reference counting system, which tracks object usage during smart contract execution. General refcounter optimizations span two pull requests, with specific improvements to the PACKMAP and UNPACK opcodes that handle data structure packing and unpacking operations. An unreachable nil check for stackitem.Map keys was also removed.

SDK and script parser updates

The neorpc package now includes a FaultException error type, allowing developers to distinguish VM exceptions in application logs and invocation results. The update also unifies the text of “GAS limit exceeded”-related VM exceptions, and developers are advised to migrate to the new detection method.

The built-in script parser received NEP-11 and NEP-17 transfer parsers, along with script end check support and a fix for REVERSEITEMS handling of primitive types.

CLI and wallet export changes

Wallet export now supports PEM private key format via a new --format flag, which replaces the deprecated --decrypt flag. CLI and DevOps users should migrate to --format for future compatibility.

Network configuration and security

MaxBlockSystemFee values have been updated for both N3 and NeoFS networks, with MaxGASInvoke also upgraded for NeoFS. Accepted transactions are now checked against MaxBlockSystemFee limits. NeoFS network operators are required to update their configuration on upgrade, while the N3 configuration upgrade schedule is to be published separately.

A security improvement to native RoleManagement now prohibits duplicate keys in designateAsRole calls.

Platform requirements and bug fixes

The release raises the minimum build requirement to Go 1.25, dropping support for Go 1.24, while adding support for Go 1.26. Bug fixes address an invalid call flag in native Policy’s recoverFund and an Actor attribute slice mutation issue during concurrent usage.

The full release notes can be found at the link below:
https://github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/releases/tag/v0.118.0