KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Holešky testnet, launched in 2023 for large-scale validator testing, is being shut down due to inactivity issues.
- The new Hoodi testnet, launched in March 2025, offers a fresh environment for testing and supports future protocol upgrades.
- Developers are encouraged to transition to Sepolia for smart contract and dapp testing as Holešky sunsets.
- Insights from Holešky have informed the design of Hoodi and future Ethereum protocol testing practices.
As previously announced, the Holešky testnet has reached its planned end-of-life date and will be sunset shortly. The majority of remaining validator nodes will be shut down two weeks after the Fusaka upgrade has finalized on Holešky. After this, Holešky will no longer receive support from client, testing, or infrastructure teams. The announcement can be found here.
Holešky was launched in 2023 as Ethereum’s largest public testnet, specifically designed for testing staking infrastructure and validator operations at scale. It enabled thousands of validators to test protocol upgrades, including the Dencun network upgrade and, most recently, Pectra. However, following the Pectra testnet activation in early 2025, Holešky experienced extensive inactivity leaks, resulting in a large exit queue. While the network recovered and finalized, the lengthy validator exit process made it impractical for testing the full validator lifecycle within reasonable timeframes.
Transition to Hoodi Testnet
In response to these challenges, the Hoodi testnet was launched in March 2025, providing a fresh testing environment without the constraints faced by Holešky. Hoodi offers a new validator set, supports all Pectra features, and will activate future protocol upgrades, including the upcoming Fusaka fork. Staking operators and infrastructure providers are encouraged to migrate their testing operations to Hoodi.
Application and tooling developers who were using Holešky should transition to Sepolia, which remains the recommended testnet for smart contract and decentralized application (dapp) testing. Following Holešky’s sunset, Ethereum’s testnet ecosystem will continue to evolve, informed by the valuable insights gained from Holešky’s operations.
Impact and Future Directions
Holešky provided significant insights into large-scale validator operations and helped stress-test critical protocol upgrades. These learnings have directly informed both Hoodi’s design and broader protocol testing practices. The Ethereum community acknowledges the contributions of everyone involved in running, maintaining, and testing on Holešky over the past years.
Why This Matters: Impact, Industry Trends & Expert Insights
Ethereum’s Holešky testnet is set to be shut down following its successful operation period, marking a transition to newer testing environments such as the Hoodi testnet.
Recent industry reports indicate that Ethereum testnets are crucial for development and airdrop eligibility, with networks like Goerli and Sepolia gaining prominence. This aligns with the transition from Holešky to Hoodi, reflecting the ongoing evolution of Ethereum’s testnet ecosystem.
As per insights from Binance, the sunsetting of testnets like Holešky is a strategic move to enhance network scalability and developer experience. This supports the shift to more efficient testing environments like Hoodi, which are better suited for current development demands.
Explore More News:
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of CoinsHolder. Content, including that generated with the help of AI, is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, financial, or professional advice. Readers should do their research before taking any actions related to the company and carry full responsibility for their decisions.
