Quick Takeaways
- Holesky, Ethereum’s biggest testnet, is shutting down soon after Fusaka rolls out
- Hoodi, the new testnet, is ready to take over validator testing
- Sepolia and Ephemery still hang around for smart contract and quick validator testing
Ethereum Testnet Holesky Did Its Job, But It’s Time to Say Goodbye
If you’ve been playing around with Ethereum lately, you’ve probably run into Holesky. It’s been the largest and most popular Ethereum testnet since it kicked off in 2023.
Basically, it’s where thousands of validators have been testing Ethereum upgrades before they hit the real mainnet. You can think of Holesky as Ethereum’s big testing playground.
But, like any playground that’s been around for a while, Holesky started having some issues. After an upgrade called Pectra in early 2025, a lot of validators suddenly went offline at the same time.
This caused some big slowdowns and made it take forever to test validator exits. Imagine waiting weeks or even months just to finish a test that’s no fun if you want to move fast. So instead of trying to patch up Holesky, the Ethereum team decided it was time to start fresh.
Ethereum Testnet Hoodi Is Here and Ready to Roll
Enter Hoodi, the new Ethereum testnet that launched in March 2025. Hoodi was built from scratch to fix all the problems Holesky had. It’s already showing it can handle validator and staking tests better, without the annoying delays and headaches.
At the same time, Sepolia is still around and is great if you want to test smart contracts or dApps. It’s kind of like the steady, reliable testnet that just keeps getting the job done.
Then there’s Ephemery perfect if you want fast validator testing that resets every 28 days. This is the one for you if you prefer rapid iterations and feedback. Depending on your needs, Ethereum now offers three solutions rather than a single massive testnet.
Fusaka Upgrade Is the Final Step to Say Goodbye to Holesky
All these changes tie into the upcoming Fusaka upgrade, expected later this year. Fusaka’s goal is to make Ethereum rollups faster and cheaper by spreading the data storage work more evenly.
This means better speed and lower costs, which is great news for everyone. After Fusaka goes live, Holesky will stick around for two more weeks before it’s officially retired.
Client and infrastructure teams will stop supporting it after that, so if you’re still using Holesky, it’s time to jump ship. Moving your projects to Hoodi, Sepolia, or Ephemery now will save you a lot of stress later on.
Want to learn more?
If you want to understand more about how the proof-of-statual system of the atherium works or what really does, look at the official guide of the Etharium Foundation. You can also keep the tab on all testnets and what is coming forward on the atherium testnet roadmap.
Final Thoughts
Holesky has been an important part of Ethereum’s journey helping test some of the biggest upgrades and supporting thousands of developers worldwide. But every good thing has its time to end, and Holesky’s time has come.
Luckily, Ethereum is ready with better tools. Each of Hoodi, Sepolia, and Ephemery has advantages over the others, making them better and more adaptable environments to develop and test.
