The Ethereum Foundation will shut down Holešky, the network’s largest public testnet. The deactivation will occur about two weeks after the Fusaka fork completes, aiming to redirect testing toward more reliable networks following stability problems observed after earlier upgrades.
Timeline and reasons
Holešky will deactivate shortly after Fusaka finishes, per the official statement. Holešky replaced Goerli as the main test environment, but it experienced downtime and validator exit queue issues after the Pectra upgrade, prompting the shift. The Foundation advises teams to plan migration early to prevent operational problems, minimizing risk during the transition.
Who is affected?
The shutdown impacts dApp developers, RPC infrastructure providers, staking operators, and projects running CI/CD pipelines on Holešky. Automated tests, scripts, and oracles that depend on Holešky require immediate review and updates to ensure continuity and avoid service interruptions.
Alternative networks and uses
Sepolia is recommended for smart contract testing and user experience with dApps due to its broad support and tooling compatibility. Hoodi targets validator and large-scale staking testing, offering a cleaner and more controlled environment than Holešky for these specific scenarios.
Practical steps for a smooth migration
Examine dependencies to find contracts, oracles, jobs, and pipelines that reference Holešky endpoints. A thorough inventory enables precise changes and reduces oversights that could break deployments or monitoring. Update configurations by switching RPC URLs, chain IDs, and faucets, and keep a clear record of changes to enable rollback if needed. Ensuring environment variables and secrets are synchronized across services helps avoid drift.
Test in parallel on Sepolia and Hoodi before turning off Holešky integrations. Running concurrent test suites de-risks the migration and exposes environment-specific quirks prior to cutover. Work with integrators by notifying partners and communities about new URLs, cutoff times, and access methods. Coordinated communication prevents mismatches in endpoints and minimizes downtime during the transition window.
Systemic risks and sovereignty considerations
Consolidating test environments can strengthen operations but introduces risks if migrations default to centralized, commercial providers. Supporting open source infrastructure, clear documentation, and repeatable deployments is essential to preserve the ecosystem’s decentralization, resilience, and financial independence.
Resources and reference
The Foundation has published a shutdown notice with migration instructions. Reviewing the official guidance will help teams plan effectively and reduce issues during cutover: blog.ethereum.org — Holešky shutdown announcement.
Holešky’s removal after Fusaka calls for a planned migration to Sepolia and Hoodi. By preparing early, testing in parallel, and favoring decentralized, open infrastructure, teams can reduce operational risk and uphold Ethereum’s core principles of decentralization, resilience, and financial independence.
