diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 7ded2be8..ef29836b 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "0.7.7"
+  ".": "0.7.8"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f39e33ef..ead62f0c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.7.8](https://github.com/opentdf/java-sdk/compare/v0.7.7...v0.7.8) (2025-04-09)
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* deal with the extra layer of hex ([#236](https://github.com/opentdf/java-sdk/issues/236)) ([7e961c1](https://github.com/opentdf/java-sdk/commit/7e961c196c1708da18f0d9dd49d8427f3452f615))
+
 ## [0.7.7](https://github.com/opentdf/java-sdk/compare/v0.7.6...v0.7.7) (2025-04-07)
 
 
diff --git a/cmdline/pom.xml b/cmdline/pom.xml
index 0ae0912a..12a2187e 100644
--- a/cmdline/pom.xml
+++ b/cmdline/pom.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
         <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
-        <version>0.7.8-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>0.7.8</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>cmdline</artifactId>
     <properties>
diff --git a/cmdline/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/Command.java b/cmdline/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/Command.java
index 5982b4d3..d2e5de5d 100644
--- a/cmdline/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/Command.java
+++ b/cmdline/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/Command.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
  */
 class Versions {
     // Version of the SDK, managed by release-please.
-    public static final String SDK = "0.7.8-SNAPSHOT"; // x-release-please-version
+    public static final String SDK = "0.7.8"; // x-release-please-version
 
     // This sdk aims to support this version of the TDF spec; currently 4.3.0.
     public static final String TDF_SPEC = "4.3.0";
diff --git a/examples/pom.xml b/examples/pom.xml
index 04bdc3c8..06d1a79b 100644
--- a/examples/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/pom.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   <parent>
     <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
     <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
-    <version>0.7.8-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>0.7.8</version>
   </parent>
 
   <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 75412c56..c1089aed 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
     <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
     <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
-    <version>0.7.8-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>0.7.8</version>
     <name>io.opentdf.platform:sdk-pom</name>
     <description>OpenTDF Java SDK</description>
     <url>https://github.com/opentdf/java-sdk</url>
diff --git a/sdk/pom.xml b/sdk/pom.xml
index 14093875..575fb42d 100644
--- a/sdk/pom.xml
+++ b/sdk/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <parent>
         <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
         <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
-        <version>0.7.8-SNAPSHOT</version>
+        <version>0.7.8</version>
     </parent>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
     <properties>