End of an Era: Holešky Testnet to Shut Down Post-Fusaka

* Holešky, Ethereum's largest testnet, to shut down two weeks after Fusaka upgrade. * Shutdown driven by technical challenges and a strategic shift to new infrastructure. On September 2, 2025, Cointelegraph reported that Ethereum will decommission its largest testnet, Holešky, following the upcoming Fusaka network upgrade. Holešky launched in September 2023 to support staking infrastructure and validator operations. However, the testnet has faced prolonged inactivity and a large validator exit queue, which led to its planned shutdown. This move marks a strategic shift in Ethereum’s testing approach. To replace Holešky, the Ethereum Foundation introduced a new testnet, Hoodi, in March 2025. Hoodi seamlessly supports recent protocol upgrades like Pectra and will accommodate the upcoming Fusaka hard fork. Validators and staking operators are actively migrating to this rebuilt infrastructure. Developers of smart contracts and decentralized applications should continue using the Sepolia testnet for testing and deployment. Scheduled for November 2025, the Fusaka upgrade is a milestone that will enhance Ethereum’s scalability and decentralization. The upgrade includes 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that focus on optimizing how validators distribute data. These changes will lower node operation requirements and improve the performance of layer-2 scaling solutions, such as rollups. As of September 2 at 02:08 UTC, Ethereum (ETH) was trading at $4,332.92, reflecting a 1.84% dip in 24-hour volume, according to CoinMarketCap.