diff --git a/contrib/devtools/update-version.sh b/contrib/devtools/update-version.sh
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/devtools/update-version.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+export LC_ALL=C
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+TOPLEVEL="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+
+help_message() {
+  echo "Update the version number of the node software."
+  echo "Usage: $0 <options>"
+  echo "-v, --version           The new version number to use. Increments revision if not specified."
+}
+
+VERSION=""
+
+# Parse command line arguments
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+case $1 in
+  -v|--version)
+    VERSION="$2"
+    shift # shift past argument
+    shift # shift past value
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Unknown argument: $1"
+    help_message
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
+done
+
+CURRENT_VERSION=$(grep -A5 "project.*bitcoin-abc" "${TOPLEVEL}/CMakeLists.txt" | grep "VERSION" | grep -oE "[[:digit:]]+\.[[:digit:]]+\.[[:digit:]]+") || {
+  echo "Error parsing current version number."
+  exit 2
+}
+
+if [ -z "${VERSION}" ]; then
+  MAJOR=$(echo "${CURRENT_VERSION}" | cut -d'.' -f1 )
+  MINOR=$(echo "${CURRENT_VERSION}" | cut -d'.' -f2 )
+  REVISION=$(echo "${CURRENT_VERSION}" | cut -d'.' -f3 )
+  REVISION=$((REVISION + 1))
+else
+  MAJOR=$(echo "${VERSION}" | cut -d'.' -f1 )
+  MINOR=$(echo "${VERSION}" | cut -d'.' -f2 )
+  REVISION=$(echo "${VERSION}" | cut -d'.' -f3 )
+fi
+
+VERSION="${MAJOR}.${MINOR}.${REVISION}"
+
+# release-notes*.md
+RELEASE_NOTES="${TOPLEVEL}/doc/release-notes.md"
+mv "${RELEASE_NOTES}" "${TOPLEVEL}/doc/release-notes/release-notes-${CURRENT_VERSION}.md"
+echo "Bitcoin ABC version ${VERSION} is now available from:
+
+  <https://download.bitcoinabc.org/${VERSION}/>
+
+This release includes the following features and fixes:" > "${RELEASE_NOTES}"
+
+# CMakeLists
+sed -i '$!N;s/\(bitcoin-abc\n\)\(\s*VERSION\s*\).*/\1\2'"${VERSION}"'/;P;D' "${TOPLEVEL}/CMakeLists.txt"
+
+# configure.ac
+CONFIGURE_AC="${TOPLEVEL}/configure.ac"
+sed -i "/define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MAJOR, /c\define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MAJOR, $MAJOR)" "${CONFIGURE_AC}"
+sed -i "/define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR, /c\define(_CLIENT_VERSION_MINOR, $MINOR)" "${CONFIGURE_AC}"
+sed -i "/define(_CLIENT_VERSION_REVISION, /c\define(_CLIENT_VERSION_REVISION, $REVISION)" "${CONFIGURE_AC}"
+
+# gitian descriptors
+sed -i "2s/.*/name: \"bitcoin-abc-${MAJOR}.${MINOR}-win\"/" "${TOPLEVEL}/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win.yml"
+sed -i "2s/.*/name: \"bitcoin-abc-${MAJOR}.${MINOR}-linux\"/" "${TOPLEVEL}/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-linux.yml"
+sed -i "2s/.*/name: \"bitcoin-abc-${MAJOR}.${MINOR}-osx\"/" "${TOPLEVEL}/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-osx.yml"
diff --git a/doc/release-process.md b/doc/release-process.md
--- a/doc/release-process.md
+++ b/doc/release-process.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     - Run `arc lint --everything` and check there is no linter error
     - Ensure that bitcoind and bitcoin-qt run with no issue on all supported platforms.
       Manually test bitcoin-qt by sending some transactions and navigating through the menus.
- 
+
 3. Update the documents / code which needs to be updated every release
     - Check that doc/release-notes.md is complete, and fill in any missing items.
     - Update [bips.md](/doc/bips.md) to account for changes since the last release.
@@ -34,12 +34,9 @@
         git push <github remote> vM.m.r
         ```
 
-5. Increment version number for the next release in:
-    - doc/release-notes.md (and copy existing one to versioned doc/release-notes/*.md)
-    - configure.ac
-    - CMakeLists.txt
-    - contrib/gitian-descriptors/*.yml (before a new major release)
-    - contrib/seeds/makeseeds.py (only after a new major release)
+5. Increment version number for the next release:
+    - `contrib/devtools/update-version.sh`
+    - Bump version in `contrib/seeds/makeseeds.py` (only after a new major release)
 
 ## Release