The Ethereum Foundation plans to shut down the Holesky testnet due to issues with the Pectra upgrade, replacing it with a new test environment called Hoodi.
Reasons for Replacing Holesky
The Ethereum Foundation decided to decommission the Holesky testnet after it was deemed inoperable due to the Pectra upgrade released last month. Technical faults rendered the network’s validator set unusable for weeks.
Issues with Pectra Upgrade
In February, when attempting to test the Pectra upgrade on Holesky, the network encountered issues that could not be quickly resolved, leading to the need for a new testing system. Similar issues arose on Ethereum's second largest test network, Sepolia, but developers were able to find a quick fix.
Introduction of Hoodi Testnet
Moving forward, the Hoodi testnet will replace Holesky. EF DevOps engineer Paritosh Jayanthi and EF core coordinator Tim Beiko mentioned plans to test Pectra on Hoodi on March 26, with hopes of a successful deployment of the upgrade on Ethereum’s main network by April 25.
Replacing Holesky with Hoodi signifies Ethereum's commitment to stability and security in testing updates before releasing them to the main network.
