The Ethereum Foundation has announced that HoleškyTestNet will enter its final stage, and Network will shut down two weeks after Fusaka upgrades have finished.
According to the foundation, network support from client developers, test groups and infrastructure providers will officially close once the expected upgrade process is complete in November.
Halsey launched its operations in 2023 as Ethereum’s most ambitious public testing environment. The aim was to evaluate the performance of large staking systems and validators at scale, creating spaces where thousands of Validators could try future changes.
Over that lifetime, it played a key role in examining network improvements, from Dencun upgrades to recent activation of Pectra.
Despite that contribution, Halsey began to show weaknesses in early 2025, while activating Pectra upgrades. The network experienced an inactive leak that created an extended validator exit queue.
Holešky eventually recovered the block and recovered the final block, but the drawn exit process unrealistically simulated the complete validator lifecycle within an efficient time frame.
These constraints opened the pass for Hoody, a new testnet launched in March 2025. This provides clean baller sets, compatibility with Pectra, and preparation for future upgrades such as rivers.
Ethereum’s new testnet structure
As Holesky is about to shut down, the Ethereum Foundation said the testnet structure of the blockchain network will be integrated into three testnets.
According to the foundation, developers focusing on smart contracts and distributed applications recommend using Sepolia, which continues to function as the standard environment for application and tool work.
Meanwhile, staking operators and infrastructure teams recommend moving their activities to the hoodie. Hoodie provides a more reliable environment for long-term verification testing.
Additionally, Ephemery provides lightweight space to test the validator lifecycle with regular resets.
The foundation argued that by integrating resources into these testnets, it would allow developers and validators to be more efficient in supporting them.
