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As previously communicated, the Holešky testnet has attained its anticipated conclusion date and will be decommissioned shortly. The overwhelming majority of outstanding validator nodes will be terminated 2 weeks following the completion of the Fusaka upgrade on Holešky. Afterward, Holešky will no longer receive support from client, testing, or infrastructure teams.
After the introduction of the Hoodi testnet in March 2025, infrastructure providers and staking operators were able to transition their testing activities.
Background
Holešky was initiated in 2023 as Ethereum’s largest public testnet, specifically created for evaluating staking infrastructure and validator operations at scale. The network accomplished its goal, allowing thousands of validators to assess protocol enhancements, including the Dencun network improvement and most recently, Pectra.
However, after the activation of the Pectra testnet in early 2025, Holešky faced significant inactivity leaks that resulted in a substantial exit queue. Although the network rebounded and finalized, the prolonged validator exit process rendered it impractical for testing the complete validator lifecycle within acceptable timeframes. This prompted the creation and launch of Hoodi in March 2025, offering a new testing environment free from these limitations.
Migration Path
Staking operators and infrastructure providers ought to transition to Hoodi, which was launched explicitly to overcome Holešky’s limitations. Hoodi offers a new validator set, accommodates all Pectra features, and will implement future protocol upgrades, including the forthcoming Fusaka fork.
Developers of applications and tools who utilized Holešky should switch to Sepolia instead, which remains the recommended testnet for smart contract and dapp assessments.
Current Testnet Landscape
Following Holešky’s decommissioning, Ethereum’s testnet ecosystem will comprise:
- Sepolia: Application and tooling development
- Hoodi: Validator and staking provider evaluation
- Ephemery: Lightweight validator lifecycle testing with resets every 28 days
Looking Ahead
Holešky offered valuable insights into extensive validator operations and facilitated stress-testing vital protocol upgrades. These teachings have directly influenced both the design of Hoodi and broader testing methodologies for protocols.
We appreciate all who played a role in operating, maintaining, and testing on Holešky over the years!
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