The Mekong development network was designed to serve as a sandbox for wallet creators to explore UX modifications and for stakers to build trust in the forthcoming Pectra adjustments.
The Pectra network enhancement has been implemented on the Ethereum Sepolia and Holesky testnets. These networks are now available for evaluating the Pectra upgrade functionalities. Consequently, we wish to inform you about the discontinuation of the Mekong testnet on March 7th, 2025.
Developers of applications and tools are recommended to utilize Sepolia to test their applications, smart contracts, and other EVM features. Its restricted validator set ensures a reliable testing environment. Alternatively, various local development settings permit testing against replicas of the Ethereum mainnet state.
Stakers and infrastructure suppliers focused on protocol-level testing are advised to either wait for the Holesky testnet to complete or to look out for an announcement on the Ethereum R&D discord regarding an alternative testing venue. For testing validator setups, stakers should also contemplate utilizing the Ephemery testnet. This network resets every week and allows for lightweight end-to-end testing of the validator lifecycle.