diff --git a/RELEASES.md b/RELEASES.md
index bce247e6..dad40589 100644
--- a/RELEASES.md
+++ b/RELEASES.md
@@ -31,12 +31,17 @@ is sometimes cited as a 7.x removal — those methods never existed on 7.x; the
 
 ---
 
-## UNRELEASED — the write-path and lifecycle release (version set at cut)
+## v10.0.0 — 2026-08-10 (the write-path and lifecycle release)
 
 The theme: **writes ack fast and honestly, startup adopts instead of rebuilding, and
-every query path serves, announces, or refuses — never silently degrades.** Everything
-below is on `main`, gated, and ships as one release together with the matching native
-accelerator version.
+every query path serves, announces, or refuses — never silently degrades.** Ships as
+one release together with the matching native accelerator version.
+
+**Why a major:** the generation log gains write format v2 — new segments carry typed,
+versioned records with integrity seals. A 9.x build refuses a v2 segment with a clear
+version-naming error (never a misread), which means **a brain written by 10.x cannot
+be opened by 9.x**. Existing v1 history stays readable forever; upgrading requires no
+migration and no data touch — the format moves forward only as you write.
 
 ### New capabilities
 
diff --git a/src/db/generationStore.ts b/src/db/generationStore.ts
index 93a221ce..422f062f 100644
--- a/src/db/generationStore.ts
+++ b/src/db/generationStore.ts
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ export class GenerationStore {
   }): Promise<{ generation: number; timestamp: number }> {
     return this.withMutex(async () => {
       // A latched history-durability failure compromises the whole generation
-      // spine — refuse a transact too (advancing the manifest past stuck,
+      // chain — refuse a transact too (advancing the manifest past stuck,
       // un-durable single-op generations would be inconsistent). Same loud
       // error; self-clears when the pending tier drains.
       this.assertHistoryDurable()