diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9b922d1bc..4a88f4b47 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [2.6.0] - 2025-07-23
+
+### Fixes
+
+- Fix crash when receiving a verification-gossiping message which a contact also sends to itself ([#7032](https://github.com/chatmail/core/pull/7032)).
+
 ## [2.5.0] - 2025-07-22
 
 ### Fixes
@@ -6526,3 +6532,4 @@ https://github.com/chatmail/core/pulls?q=is%3Apr+is%3Aclosed
 [2.3.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.2.0..v2.3.0
 [2.4.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.3.0..v2.4.0
 [2.5.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.4.0..v2.5.0
+[2.6.0]: https://github.com/chatmail/core/compare/v2.5.0..v2.6.0
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 3ef6b7257..21fd1123d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1285,7 +1285,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-broadcast",
@@ -1395,7 +1395,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-jsonrpc"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-channel 2.3.1",
@@ -1417,7 +1417,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-repl"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
@@ -1433,7 +1433,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-server"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
@@ -1462,7 +1462,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "deltachat_ffi"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "deltachat",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 1fcc6073e..26cb457a2 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 edition = "2024"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
 rust-version = "1.85"
diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
index d6614e826..231b920eb 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat_ffi"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 description = "Deltachat FFI"
 edition = "2018"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
index e2723d11b..d9ee8f6d4 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-jsonrpc"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 description = "DeltaChat JSON-RPC API"
 edition = "2021"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json
index 51dafade6..43dcc2f43 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/typescript/package.json
@@ -54,5 +54,5 @@
   },
   "type": "module",
   "types": "dist/deltachat.d.ts",
-  "version": "2.5.0"
+  "version": "2.6.0"
 }
diff --git a/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
index e7c897d94..65aa76b3b 100644
--- a/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-repl/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-repl"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 license = "MPL-2.0"
 edition = "2021"
 repository = "https://github.com/chatmail/core"
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml b/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml
index a4fe99554..d70c78a79 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-client"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 description = "Python client for Delta Chat core JSON-RPC interface"
 classifiers = [
     "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml b/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
index 9ecf387d2..17bc8d560 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-server/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "deltachat-rpc-server"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 description = "DeltaChat JSON-RPC server"
 edition = "2021"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json b/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json
index a06c523b3..9fc58ce42 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-server/npm-package/package.json
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@
   },
   "type": "module",
   "types": "index.d.ts",
-  "version": "2.5.0"
+  "version": "2.6.0"
 }
diff --git a/python/pyproject.toml b/python/pyproject.toml
index 20c3c8272..0b765fd80 100644
--- a/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "deltachat"
-version = "2.5.0"
+version = "2.6.0"
 description = "Python bindings for the Delta Chat Core library using CFFI against the Rust-implemented libdeltachat"
 readme = "README.rst"
 requires-python = ">=3.8"
diff --git a/release-date.in b/release-date.in
index 46a61608b..4b25fc66d 100644
--- a/release-date.in
+++ b/release-date.in
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2025-07-22
\ No newline at end of file
+2025-07-23
\ No newline at end of file