I am not sure about your Bad Handshake issues.
However, regarding your question re: MySQL 8.x or MariaDB....
I switch every single app I have (except one very old legacy that will stay in MS-SQL) from MySQL to Maria DB many years ago now.
My main reason is that I wanted to take advantage of Aware IM's SEQUENCE capability but I did not want to use MS-SQL.
Hence, considering only MS-SQL and Maria support Sequences (MySQL does not) it was an easy choice.
Have had no regrets. Maria DB is exceptional and I have had zero issues with it.
Can't say for sure but seems to me that as Maria forked from MySQL, then that was for a reason and hence one would assume it's future
development path is pretty positive.