Ethereum is gearing up to retire its prominent test network, Holesky, as it faces significant challenges in preparing for the upcoming Pectra upgrade. The Ethereum Foundation (EF) announced this decision in a blog post, outlining plans for the gradual discontinuation of Holesky, with the complete shutdown expected by September 30.
The Need for Transition
Holesky served as a vital testing environment for the Ethereum ecosystem, allowing developers to experiment with infrastructure updates in a controlled setting. However, the network faced severe setbacks after experiencing outages linked to a flawed test of the Pectra update in February. After weeks of recovery efforts, Holesky resumed operations in March but continued to suffer from issues such as “inactivity leaks,” which hampered its validator system.
According to the EF, the exit process for validators has proven to be cumbersome. “Exited validators would take approximately one year to fully be removed from the validator set,” they explained. This backlog in the exit queue has made it increasingly difficult for Holesky to effectively simulate the full validator lifecycle, prompting the need for a new testing solution.
Introducing Hoodi: The New Testing Ground
The introduction of the Hoodi test network marks a strategic shift for Ethereum’s development community. Launched earlier this week, Hoodi is designed to take over the testing responsibilities previously held by Holesky. This new network aims to replicate real-world conditions for Ethereum’s validator ecosystem, supporting an impressive capacity of 1.4 million validators—outpacing even the existing Ethereum network.
Hoodi is expected to facilitate testing for the Pectra upgrade, with a critical test scheduled for March 26. If this trial is successful, developers plan to implement the Pectra upgrade on Ethereum’s mainnet just 30 days later.
A Call to Stakers and Developers
Tim Beiko, the protocol support lead at the EF, has emphasized the importance of Hoodi for stakers and developers. In a recent post on X, he stated, “Stakers, this is your new testing ground,” encouraging the community to engage with the new network as they prepare for future upgrades.
As Ethereum continues to evolve, the transition from Holesky to Hoodi represents a significant step in improving the testing and development process, ensuring that the network remains robust and capable of supporting its growing user base.
In conclusion, while Holesky will soon fade into Ethereum’s history, Hoodi is poised to become a crucial platform for innovation and development in the Ethereum ecosystem.
