- The [toy-chat application](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/tutorial/chat2.md) can now perform `lightpush` and request content-filtered messages from remote peers.
- The [toy-chat application](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/tutorial/chat2.md) now uses default content topic `/toy-chat/2/huilong/proto`
- Improve `toy-chat` [briding to matterbridge]((https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/tutorial/chat2.md#bridge-messages-between-chat2-and-matterbridge))
- Improve [`swap`](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/18/) logging and enable soft mode by default
- Content topics are no longer in a redundant nested structure
- A peer manager for `relay`, `filter`, `store` and `swap` peers
- Persistent storage for peers: A node with this feature enabled will now attempt to reconnect to `relay` peers after a restart. It will respect the gossipsub [PRUNE backoff](https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/pubsub/gossipsub/gossipsub-v1.1.md#prune-backoff-and-peer-exchange) period before attempting to do so.
-`--persist-peers` CLI option to persist peers in local storage
-`--persist-messages` CLI option to store historical messages locally
-`--keep-alive` CLI option to maintain a stable connection to `relay` peers on idle topics
- A CLI chat application ([`chat2`](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/tutorial/chat2.md)) over Waku v2 with [bridging to matterbridge](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/tutorial/chat2.md#bridge-messages-between-chat2-and-matterbridge)
- Split out `waku_types` types into the right place; create `utils` folder.
- Change type of `contentTopic` in [`ContentFilter`](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/12/#protobuf) to `string`.
- Replace sequence of `contentTopics` in [`ContentFilter`](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/12/#protobuf) with a single `contentTopic`.
- Add `timestamp` field to [`WakuMessage`](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/14/#payloads).
- Ensure CLI config parameters use a consistent naming scheme. Summary of changes [here](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/pull/543).
#### Docs
Several clarifications and additions aimed at contributors, including
- information on [how to query Status test fleet](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/faq.md) for node addresses,
- [how to view logs](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/contributors/cluster-logs.md), and
- [how to update submodules](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/contributors/git-submodules.md).
#### Schema
- Add `Message` table to the persistent message store. This table replaces the old `messages` table. It has two additional columns, namely
-`pubsubTopic`, and
-`version`.
- Add `Peer` table for persistent peer storage.
#### API
- [JSON-RPC Admin API](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/16): Added a [`post` method](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/16/#post_waku_v2_admin_v1_peers) to connect to peers on an ad-hoc basis.
- [Nim API](https://github.com/status-im/nim-waku/blob/master/docs/api/v2/node.md): PubSub topic `subscribe` and `unsubscribe` no longer returns a future (removed `async` designation).
- [`HistoryQuery`](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/13/#historyquery): Added `pubsubTopic` field. Message history can now be filtered and queried based on the `pubsubTopic`.
- [`HistoryQuery`](https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/13/#historyquery): Added support for querying a time window by specifying start and end times.
### Fixes
- Running nodes can now be shut down gracefully
- Content filtering now works on any PubSub topic and not just the `waku` default.
- Nodes can now mount protocols without supporting `relay` as a capability
The [Waku v2 suite of protocols](https://rfc.vac.dev/) are still in a raw/draft state.
This release supports the following [libp2p protocols](https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/protocols/):
- Calls to `publish` a message on `wakunode2` now `await` instead of `discard` dispatched [`WakuRelay`](https://github.com/vacp2p/specs/blob/master/specs/waku/v2/waku-relay.md) procedures.
