diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 4ec9f0e8..bc3c45e6 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "dusk-plonk"
-version = "0.21.0"
+version = "0.22.0-rc.0"
 categories =["algorithms", "cryptography", "science", "mathematics"]
 edition = "2024"
 rust-version = "1.85"