The Ethereum is set to stop the largest test network, Holesky, after it encounters challenges that test the upcoming PECTRA upgrade.
Ethereum Foundation (EF) said In a blog post On Tuesday the network-a controlled environment for the infrastructure test and upgrade of Ethereum-will begin to wind, with a full shutdown expectation on September 30.
Return plan came after a hole that fell offline due to Ethereum’s February Trial Test PECTRA update. Developers lasted weeks to recover Hollesky, which returned online in March but suffered from the outstanding injury-called “inactive leak” that clogged up up holesky’s full validator apparatus.
“(E) The Xited Validator will take over a year to be completely removed from the validator set,” the EF Explained in their blog post. “The size of the exit queue prevents the hole used to test the entire validator lifecycle within a reasonable time.”
Ethereum runs testnets so that developers can run code changes before bringing them to the main network of Ethereum (Mainnet). Test networks are important to replicate in Ethereum Mainnet, and they allow developer teams and infrastructure providers to test new software before launching them in a higher bet environment.
The holesky is specifically intended for the ecosystem of the Ethereum validator ecosystem – the stakers and node operators that keep the Ethereum and running network. It was built to model close-to-real network conditions with support for a giant 1.4 million validators-more in Goerli or even the real Ethereum network.
Currently, holesky is used by validators and staking providers, but the similarly constructed hoodi network will serve that function moves forward. Hoodi lived earlier this week and plans to try Pectra upgrading on March 26. If that test is to continue properly, the developers intend to push Pectra to the Mainnet of Ethereum 30 days later.
“Stakers, this is your new place trial,” said Tim Beiko, leading the EF protocol support, In a post on x.
Read more: Hello, Hoodi: Ethereum invites a new testnet
