"Drupal 8.1.0 will be released on April 20, 2016, so the beta phase for Drupal 8.1.x is coming up soon! We have until February 24 to make additions for Drupal 8.1.0. (After that, new additions will go toward 8.2.0 instead, which is currently planned for release in October.)"
"We want to highlight individuals and organizations that are actively contributing to Drupal. You can now attribute your work in the Drupal.org issue queues to your employer or a customer. Maintainers can award issues credits to people who help resolve issues with code, comments, design, and more. These credits can roll up to service providers listed in the Drupal Marketplace. (And eventually we want to show customers with credits as well.)"