diff --git a/.github/workflows/gradle.yml b/.github/workflows/gradle.yml
index c05949c8..06d2f806 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gradle.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gradle.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ name: Java CI with Gradle
 on:
     workflow_dispatch:
     push:
-        branches: [ "master", "develop"]
+        branches: [ "master", "develop", "feature/update_protobuf"]
 
 permissions:
     contents: read
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
         steps:
             -   name: Checkout repository
-                uses: actions/checkout@v3
+                uses: actions/checkout@v4
                 with:
                     submodules: 'recursive'
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ jobs:
                     distribution: 'temurin'
 
             -   name: Build with Gradle
-                uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@bd5760595778326ba7f1441bcf7e88b49de61a25 # v2.6.0
+                uses: gradle/gradle-build-action@v2
                 with:
                     arguments: build allcoverage
 
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ jobs:
             -   name: Unit Tests with publishing code coverage
                 uses: codecov/codecov-action@v3
                 with:
+                    token: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
                     files: ${{github.workspace}}/build/reports/jacoco/report.xml # optional
                     flags: unittests # optional
                     name: codecov-umbrella # optional
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/io.aergo.heraj.java-library-conventions.gradle b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/io.aergo.heraj.java-library-conventions.gradle
index 681714b1..5339a4a5 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/io.aergo.heraj.java-library-conventions.gradle
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/io.aergo.heraj.java-library-conventions.gradle
@@ -180,7 +180,6 @@ jacocoTestReport {
   reports {
     xml.required = true
     html.required = true
-    csv.enabled = false
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/core/protobuf/build.gradle b/core/protobuf/build.gradle
index bfd33b85..7c7fb4ed 100644
--- a/core/protobuf/build.gradle
+++ b/core/protobuf/build.gradle
@@ -11,22 +11,18 @@ plugins {
 dependencies {
   implementation ("io.grpc:grpc-protobuf:${grpcVersion}")
   implementation ("io.grpc:grpc-stub:${grpcVersion}")
+  implementation ("com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:${protocVersion}")
+  runtimeOnly "io.grpc:grpc-netty-shaded:${grpcVersion}"
 
   if (JavaVersion.current().isJava9Compatible()) {
     // Workaround for @javax.annotation.Generated
-    // see: https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/3633
-    implementation "javax.annotation:javax.annotation-api:${javaxAnnotationApiVersion}"
+    // see: https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/3633 and https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java
+    compileOnly 'org.apache.tomcat:annotations-api:6.0.53' // necessary for Java 9+
   }
 }
 
 protobuf {
   protoc {
-//      // for apple m1, please add protoc_platform=osx-x86_64 in $HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties
-//      if (project.hasProperty('protoc_platform')) {
-//          artifact = "com.google.protobuf:protoc:${protocVersion}:${protoc_platform}"
-//      } else {
-//          artifact = "com.google.protobuf:protoc:${protocVersion}"
-//      }
     artifact = "com.google.protobuf:protoc:${protocVersion}"
   }
   plugins {
@@ -43,14 +39,6 @@ protobuf {
   }
 }
 
-sourceSets {
-  main {
-    java {
-      srcDirs "${projectDir}/build/generated/source/proto/main/java"
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 // FIXME: custom disable options, it don't like it
 
 tasks.withType(Javadoc).all { enabled = false }
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index b5500bd3..807e7da1 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ jmhReportVersion=0.8.0
 shadowJarVersion=7.1.2
 
 # protobuf
-protobufVersion=0.8.18
+protobufVersion=0.9.4
 # newer version of protoc is not compatible for current heraj.
-protocVersion=3.17.3
+protocVersion=3.25.1
 
 # javax
 javaxAnnotationApiVersion=1.3.1
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ javaxAnnotationApiVersion=1.3.1
 bouncyCastleVersion=1.66
 
 # grpc
-grpcVersion=1.43.2
+grpcVersion=1.60.1
 
 # utils
 jacksonVersion=2.6.7