A hidden Bitcoin node database just shrank by 40 GB, but only if runners rebuild it

Bitcoin Core contains an auxiliary, non-consensus database used for peer/address and auxiliary indexing that has been reduced by roughly 40 GB through a storage-format/pruning change. The shrink only takes effect if operators rebuild that database (i.e., run the explicit rebuild/remove-and-recreate procedure); nodes left alone will keep the larger footprint. For operators who rebuild, the lower disk requirement modestly reduces the cost of running a full node and can help accessibility and decentralization, but it does not change consensus, validation, or network security.