Ethereum to retire Holesky testnet as Hoodi takes center stage

The Ethereum Foundation announced that the Holešky testnet is entering its final phase, and the network is scheduled to shut down two weeks after the Fusaka upgrade concludes.

According to the Foundation, the network support from client developers, testing groups, and infrastructure providers will formally end once the anticipated upgrade process is completed in November.

Holešky began operations in 2023 as Ethereum’s most ambitious public testing environment. Its purpose was to evaluate staking systems and validator performance at scale, creating a space where thousands of validators could trial upcoming changes.

Over its lifetime, it played a crucial role in validating network improvements, from the Dencun upgrade to the more recent Pectra activation.

Despite its contributions, Holešky began showing weaknesses in early 2025 while activating the Pectra upgrade. The network experienced inactivity leaks that created an extended validator exit queue.

Although Holešky eventually recovered and finalized blocks, the drawn-out exit process made simulating a full validator lifecycle within efficient timeframes impractical.

These constraints opened the path for Hoodi, a new testnet launched in March 2025, which provides a clean validator set, compatibility with Pectra, and readiness for future upgrades such as Fusaka.

Ethereum’s new testnet structure

With Holesky now about to be shut down, the Ethereum Foundation stated that the blockchain network’s testnet structure would be consolidated on three testnets.

According to the Foundation, developers focusing on smart contracts and decentralized applications are advised to use Sepolia, which continues to serve as the standard environment for application and tooling work.

Meanwhile, staking operators and infrastructure teams are encouraged to move their activities to Hoodi, which offers a more reliable environment for long-term validation testing.

In addition, Ephemery offers a lightweight space for testing validator lifecycles with regular resets.

The Foundation argued that consolidating resources into these testnets would allow it to more efficiently support developers and validators.