TL;DR
- Ethereum will end support for the Holesky testnet in September 2025 due to its limitations for future testing.
- The Hoodi testnet will be activated on March 26, 2025, and will be used to validate the Pectra upgrade.
- Holesky will remain temporarily operational for internal testing, but node validation must be conducted on Hoodi.
Ethereum developers have decided to discontinue support for the Holesky testnet in September 2025. Launched in 2023, this network has been used for staking, infrastructure, and protocol development testing.
Its deprecation follows the standard practice of retiring testnets once they become non-functional or present limitations for future testing. Before Holesky, networks such as Kiln, Ropsten, Rinkeby, and Goerli were also discontinued.
Holesky encountered difficulties during the testing of the Pectra upgrade. The network experienced disruptions and had issues with deposit contract configuration on Ethereum clients. Although efforts have been made to restore stability, congestion in the validator exit queue prevents full lifecycle testing for these nodes. Validators are expected to take a year to exit completely, limiting the network’s usefulness for specific testing scenarios.
Ethereum Prepares to Activate ‘Hoodi’
To address these limitations, a new testnet called Hoodi has been introduced. Its activation is scheduled for March 26, 2025, allowing testing of the Pectra upgrade without the restrictions found in Holesky. Staking and infrastructure operators must migrate to Hoodi to continue node validation and other critical processes.
Despite its deprecation, Holesky will remain operational in the short term. Developers are considering using it for internal experiments, such as protocol stress tests and gas limit adjustments. However, validator testing must take place on Hoodi.
Sepolia Will Also Have a Replacement
Ethereum maintains multiple testnets for different purposes. Holesky and Hoodi are intended for validator and staking testing. Sepolia, on the other hand, is still used by application and tooling developers and will remain active until September 2026. A new testnet is scheduled for launch in March 2026 to replace Sepolia, ensuring the continuity of necessary testing for the ecosystem.
The transition to new testnets helps maintain an efficient testing environment adapted to changes in the main network. The introduction of Hoodi and the planning of future networks reflect the need to update testing infrastructures as Ethereum evolves
