The Ethereum Foundation has revealed its plans to discontinue the Holesky testnet by September 2025, citing persistent problems that have affected testing for the forthcoming Pectra upgrade.
In a statement issued on March 19, the network confirmed that a new testnet, Hoodi, would assume responsibility for all Pectra-related testing.
Holesky Challenges
Holesky faced significant challenges during the Pectra upgrade test conducted last month.
Multiple execution clients such as Geth, Nethermind, and Besu utilized incorrect deposit contract addresses, leading to a bug within the execution layer. This resulted in chain splits, undermining network stability.
Another Ethereum testnet, Sepolia, ran into similar issues due to custom deposit contracts but managed to recover quickly.
In contrast, Holesky encountered inactivity leaks that complicated the process for validators exiting the network.
Although the network has since been finalized, the removal of exited validators could take as long as a year. This delay renders it impractical to adequately test the full validator lifecycle within a suitable timeframe.
The Foundation observed that while Holesky still enables stakers to test deposits and other features associated with Pectra, its exit queue restricts broader testing capabilities. Consequently, the decision was made to transition Pectra testing to the Hoodi testnet.
Notwithstanding this shift, Holesky will continue to be available for certain tests, such as gas limit increases, until its official discontinuation in September 2025.
Move to Hoodi
The Hoodi testnet will take over the testing for the Pectra upgrade, with its activation scheduled for March 26, 2025, at epoch 2048, approximately 7:37 UTC.
Staking operators and infrastructure providers are anticipated to transition their validator tests to this new platform.
Furthermore, Ethereum announced that the Sepolia testnet will be phased out in March 2026, with support concluding by September 2026.
Hoodi is projected to remain operational until September 2028, after which support will cease.
These developments underscore Ethereum’s ongoing commitment to enhance its testing infrastructure and facilitate smoother protocol upgrades.
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