diff --git a/.github/release-please/manifest.json b/.github/release-please/manifest.json
index c43a992917e1..782c7a30086c 100644
--- a/.github/release-please/manifest.json
+++ b/.github/release-please/manifest.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "core": "25.4.0",
+  "core": "26.0.0",
   "prover": "17.1.1",
   "zkstack_cli": "0.1.2"
 }
diff --git a/core/CHANGELOG.md b/core/CHANGELOG.md
index 12d1169f84a3..d0491b179035 100644
--- a/core/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/core/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,38 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [26.0.0](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/compare/core-v25.4.0...core-v26.0.0) (2025-01-17)
+
+
+### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
+
+* **contracts:** gateway integration ([#1934](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/1934))
+
+### Features
+
+* Adapt server for new EVM bytecode hash encoding ([#3396](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3396)) ([5a1e6d2](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/5a1e6d2445d4d4310fc1e54ccd44dc4254e5bcbc))
+* Add logging & metrics for mempool ([#3447](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3447)) ([64d861d](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/64d861d1e1d2d46339938ee3174c58cdc3f348c3))
+* **api_server:** report gas price based on open batch ([#2868](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/2868)) ([f30aca0](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/f30aca00962aa34c8a7acd6e4116290a2b214dcb))
+* **contracts:** gateway integration ([#1934](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/1934)) ([f06cb79](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/f06cb79883bf320f50089099e0abeb95eaace470))
+* da_dispatcher refactoring ([#3409](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3409)) ([591cd86](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/591cd86a1a1e6e4214d3cec74b4c601356060203))
+* **en:** make documentation more chain agnostic ([#3376](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3376)) ([361243f](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/361243f3f15e01cf1f3e49b73a579cb962cf0124))
+* **eth-sender:** make base fee grow at least as fast as priority fee ([#3386](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3386)) ([78af2bf](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/78af2bf786bb4f7a639fef9fd169594101818b79))
+* **eth-watch:** Change protocol upgrade schema ([#3435](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3435)) ([2c778fd](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/2c778fdd3fcd1e774bcb945f14a640ccf4227a2f))
+* Features for an easier upgrade ([#3422](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3422)) ([3037ee6](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/3037ee6aa976744a09882b5830d6242ad8336717))
+* FFLONK support for compressor ([#3359](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3359)) ([1a297be](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/1a297bedd226c56fc2ba02dc54d79129a271a1eb))
+* pubdata type changes from sync-layer-stable ([#3425](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3425)) ([f09087b](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/f09087bab397778976af42c321cbba93f9706b5a))
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **api:** Propagate fallback errors in traces ([#3469](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3469)) ([84e3e31](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/84e3e312688e3aaffe81828471d276e24432d496))
+* **en:** make EN use main node's fee input ([#3489](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3489)) ([cbf2c31](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/cbf2c31e353fd7a5167fcca7e2df87026050c21a))
+* eth aggregator restriction ([#3490](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3490)) ([6cc9b9e](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/6cc9b9e405b03a7e30f3c92735b7452099c165d0))
+
+
+### Performance Improvements
+
+* **eth-sender:** optimize sql query ([#3437](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/issues/3437)) ([0731f60](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/commit/0731f607a72d18decd1ff74139f190c253d807ef))
+
 ## [25.4.0](https://github.com/matter-labs/zksync-era/compare/core-v25.3.0...core-v25.4.0) (2024-12-19)
 
 
diff --git a/core/Cargo.lock b/core/Cargo.lock
index 4744b424cea0..0c7b38d2d163 100644
--- a/core/Cargo.lock
+++ b/core/Cargo.lock
@@ -11994,7 +11994,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "zksync_external_node"
-version = "25.4.0"
+version = "26.0.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "assert_matches",
diff --git a/core/bin/external_node/Cargo.toml b/core/bin/external_node/Cargo.toml
index 799108f30723..c8b63a12f70f 100644
--- a/core/bin/external_node/Cargo.toml
+++ b/core/bin/external_node/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "zksync_external_node"
 description = "Non-validator ZKsync node"
-version = "25.4.0" # x-release-please-version
+version = "26.0.0" # x-release-please-version
 edition.workspace = true
 authors.workspace = true
 homepage.workspace = true