• Due to validator exit delays, the Holesky testnet will be phased out by September 2025.
• Hoodi testnet will replace Holesky for testing Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade starting March 26.
• Ethereum plans to discontinue Holesky after congestion issues hinder validator testing.

The Ethereum development team plans to stop Holesky testnet support by September 2025, thus concluding its duties in testing network upgrades. Developer support for the Holesky testnet ended after it failed to manage the Pectra update and encountered difficulties due to a large backlog of validator exits. Since its September 2023 launch Holesky has been one of it’s essential testnets for validating network activities of both validators and staking providers.

Holesky’s difficulties began during testing for the Pectra upgrade. A faulty test in February caused widespread disruptions, resulting in the testnet going offline. Although the network returned online in March, it suffered from inactivity leaks, leading to a congested validator exit queue. The Ethereum Foundation (EF) explained that removing exited validators would take about a year, making Holesky unsuitable for testing the full validator lifecycle within a practical timeframe.

Therefore, the Ethereum Foundation decided that development focuses on the newly launched Hoodi testnet. From activating Pectra on March 26, 2025, Hoodi will be responsible for testing validator-related features including the Pectra upgrade. This change is important to allow the cryptocurrency to keep testing and refining its network upgrades, especially in light of the recent issues with Holesky.

Subsequently, the Ethereum Foundation introduced Hoodi as a replacement of Holesky which was meant for validator testing. Hoodi is scheduled for the Pectra upgrade on March 26, 2025, and will become the main validator testing network from now on. The upgrade is planned to be delivered to the main Ethereum network in one month after passing testing on the Hoodi network.

Ethereum introduces Hoodi as part of its continuous initiative to improve testing infrastructure and ensure smoother protocol upgrades. Developers expect Hoodi to remain operational until 2028, providing a stable environment for testing future network upgrades. Ethereum has indicated that it will retire other testnets, such as Sepolia, in the coming years.

However, the Ethereum Foundation plans to have Holesky active until September 2025 despite the problems concerning validator exits. The testnet will stay online for further testing of features like deposits and consolidations required for the Pectra upgrade. The shutdown of Holesky’s is set to occur by September 30, 2025. Until then, developers will test specific features while in Hoodi for more comprehensive testing of the Pectra upgrade.