Ethereum is preparing to shut down its largest test network, Holesky, following difficulties in testing the upcoming Pectra upgrade.
The Ethereum Foundation announced in a recent blog that the Holesky network — designed as a controlled space for testing Ethereum infrastructure and upgrades — will soon begin its phase-out, with complete cessation expected by September 30. The newly launched Hoodi test network, which was introduced on Monday, will take over as Holesky’s successor.
This decision comes after Holesky faced downtime due to issues encountered during February’s testing of Ethereum’s future Pectra update. Developers spent several weeks getting Holesky back online, which happened in March, but it continued to experience problems associated with “inactivity leaks” that hindered its entire validator operation.
“[E]xited validators would take about a year to be completely purged from the validator set,” the Foundation outlined in their post. “The backlog in the exit queue hinders Holesky from effectively testing the complete validator lifecycle within a reasonable period.”
Ethereum utilizes testnets to allow developers to implement code changes before they are applied to the main Ethereum network (mainnet). These test networks closely simulate the Ethereum mainnet, enabling developer teams and infrastructure providers to trial new software prior to its release in more critical conditions.
Holesky was specifically aimed at testing by Ethereum’s validator community — those stakers and node operators responsible for maintaining the Ethereum network. It was designed to mimic real network conditions, accommodating a vast array of 1.4 million validators, surpassing both Goerli and even the actual Ethereum network.
Right now, Holesky is utilized by validators and staking providers, but the similarly structured Hoodi network will fulfill that role going forward. Hoodi went live earlier this week and is set to test the Pectra upgrade on March 26. If that test goes well, developers plan to launch Pectra on Ethereum’s mainnet 30 days later.
“Stakers, this is your new testing ground,” remarked Tim Beiko, the protocol support lead at the Foundation, in a post on social media.
Read more: Welcome, Hoodi: Ethereum Introduces a New Testing Ground