Holesky Reaches End of Life
Ethereum’s largest testnet, Holešky, is being shut down after two years of service, marking a significant transition in the blockchain’s testing infrastructure. According to the Ethereum Foundation, the network will sunset two weeks after the Fusaka upgrade is finalized, expected in the second half of September.
While the precise timeline remains fluid, Ethereum’s developers are aiming to roll out Fusaka on mainnet in November, which means Holešky must close before then.
Launched in September 2023, Holešky was designed to stress-test staking infrastructure and validator operations. It hosted critical simulations for upgrades like Dencun and, most recently, Pectra. The Foundation emphasized that the testnet “served its purpose” and provided developers with a robust environment for experimentation.
Hoodi Steps Up as Successor
The decision to retire Holešky wasn’t arbitrary. Earlier in 2025, the testnet suffered “extensive inactivity leaks” that caused a large validator exit queue. Although the network eventually recovered, the incident accelerated the launch of a new testnet.
That successor is Hoodi, which debuted in March and will now take over Holešky’s role. Hoodi is already integrated with the Pectra upgrade and will serve as the primary environment for testing Fusaka and other future forks.
The Foundation is actively migrating staking operators and infrastructure providers from Holešky to Hoodi. For dApp and smart contract developers, the recommendation is to use Sepolia, which remains the go-to testnet for application-level testing.
Fusaka Fork Paves the Way
Ethereum’s next major upgrade, Fusaka (Fulu-Osaka), is scheduled for early November 2025. It introduces improvements to how rollups access data, distributing data availability workloads more efficiently across network validators.
This change is expected to make running nodes easier, decentralization stronger, and layer-2 scalability faster and cheaper. Fusaka will package 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), further refining the ecosystem’s ability to handle massive transaction volumes.
By enhancing data availability for rollups, Fusaka could dramatically improve the user experience, a priority the Ethereum Foundation has recently emphasized as its most “high-leverage opportunity” for the next year.
Glamsterdam Upgrade on the Horizon
Ethereum’s innovation roadmap doesn’t end with Fusaka. The next upgrade, dubbed Glamsterdam (EIP-7782), is already penciled in for 2026. It proposes to halve block times to just 6 seconds, while separating block validation from execution.
As explained by Ladislaus of the Ethereum protocol coordination team, this adjustment would give provers additional time to craft zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) proofs, supporting Ethereum’s push toward higher efficiency and security.
Ethereum’s Market Momentum
While these infrastructure developments unfold, Ethereum’s market performance is reflecting renewed confidence. In recent months, publicly listed companies have started adding ETH to their treasuries, driving additional demand. This trend has been cited as one of the main factors behind ETH’s 200% rally since April.
The retirement of Holešky is symbolic: Ethereum is moving past its earlier testing grounds and entering a new era of scalability, efficiency, and institutional adoption. With Hoodi taking over and Fusaka on the way, the network is preparing for some of its most ambitious changes yet.
