Release v2.1.0

• Workspace release versions are bumped to 2.1.0 (#5651). Vara runtime spec version is 20100; the instruction weight schedule version remains 2000.
• Native BEEFY/MMR, owner-bound five-key session registration, explicit source activation and the supported mainnet migration are included (#5642). BEEFY supplements BABE/GRANDPA; it does not replace block production or canonical chain finality.
• Polkadot SDK dependencies move to upstream stable2409, with the documented local compatibility patches (#5471).
• Archive RPC resource protection and updated mainnet bootnodes are included (#5638, #5646).
• Vara.ETH changes include RPC/contract versioning, mailbox/state APIs, shielded transactions and consensus/network fixes. See the complete comparison below for the full change set and API changes.

Required operator actions

Do not treat publishing this release as authorization to upgrade the live runtime or activate BEEFY. Node installation, runtime enactment, BEEFY activation and Ethereum bridge cutover are separate actions.

1. Install compatible nodes before the runtime upgrade, preserving the existing database, complete keystore and service configuration. Keep --chain vara; enable offchain indexing before the first MMR insertion. Arrange independent proof archives. Do not rotate keys yet.
2. Through approved mainnet governance, enact the approved production WASM only after the supported 11000 → 20100 migration and exact-artifact qualification. Verify finalized spec 20100 and SessionKeys API v2. Old nodes are incompatible with that API.
3. After finalized enactment, validators use local author_rotateKeysWithOwner and ordinary session.setKeys(keys, proof) from the effective owner. The flow rotates all five keys; retain old private entries through their duty and retention periods. Empty proofs are not supported.
4. Verify actual active/queued and electable-standby readiness, then separately schedule Root beefy.setNewGenesis(delayInBlocks). The target is execution block plus positive delay, not proposal block. Require advancing valid BEEFY quorum commitments and historical MMR proofs.
5. Keep Ethereum bridge cutover under its own reviewed deployment, custody/replay and governance procedure.

The coordinator runbook and copyable validator notices, detailed commands and gates, and validator checklist are pinned to the merged release-operations documentation revision. These follow-up documentation/packaging changes do not alter the v2.1.0 source tag or runtime artifacts.

Linux compatibility and artifact selection

The prebuilt Linux gear binary requires GLIBC 2.39, as supplied by Ubuntu 24.04. Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.04 cannot run it directly. Verify the downloaded binary with --version on the actual host before replacing the running service, or use the qualified compatible release container.

testnet_vara_runtime_v2_01_00.wasm and its metadata are not mainnet upgrade artifacts. The released node intentionally embeds the testnet runtime; --chain vara executes the on-chain mainnet WASM.

Immutable source: 8b7dab2f89546f5ef872d9a39447a45c1d7ddc36.

Full changelog: v2.0.0...v2.1.0