| Key Points: – Ethereum developers launched the Hooli testnet on March 17 to resolve configuration issues from Pectra’s testing on Sepolia and Holesky. – If Hooli testnet succeeds, Pectra could go live on the mainnet by late April or early May, with April 25 as the earliest possible date. |
Ethereum core developers have announced the launch of the Hooli testnet on March 17 to resolve configuration issues encountered during testing of the Pectra upgrade on the Sepolia and Holesky networks.
The decision follows multiple test failures, which, while not directly tied to Pectra itself, have raised concerns about misconfigurations affecting the upgrade process.
Ethereum Launches Hooli Testnet to Resolve Pectra Issues
The Pectra upgrade was initially set for a potential March deployment, but problems on Holesky and Sepolia forced developers to reassess their timeline.
Holesky, one of Ethereum’s primary testnets, failed to finalize after implementing Pectra, while Sepolia experienced misconfigurations, leading to an extended testing period. In response, Ethereum’s core team agreed to create Hooli testnet as a final test environment before mainnet activation.
According to Ethereum Foundation developer Tim Beiko, Pectra’s activation on the mainnet will only proceed if the Hooli testnet successfully forks and client teams confirm confidence in the upgrade’s stability. If all goes as planned, mainnet deployment could happen by late April or early May, with April 25 being the earliest possible date.
Hooli’s primary function will be to conduct validator exit testing, while Sepolia and Holesky will continue supporting other test cases. Meanwhile, developers have decided to maintain Holesky indefinitely due to its deep integration with existing decentralized applications (dApps).
Beyond Pectra, Ethereum developers are subtly advancing plans for the next network upgrade, Fusaka. While details remain limited, Fusaka is expected to include Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) that were deferred from Pectra. The preservation of Holesky is also seen as beneficial for Fusaka’s long-term testing and development.
Pectra is one of two major upgrades that the Ethereum team has been working on since Dencun in 2024, including:
- Pectra – Phase 1: Includes upgrades such as EIP-7251 (increased staking limit) and EIP-7702 (an upgrade of EIP-3074 to improve user wallet experience), while improving the request time for validators’ deposits and withdrawals.
- Fusaka – Phase 2: Integrates major technical improvements such as EVM Object Format (EOF) and PeerDAS for network performance and security. Fusaka is expected to take place in 2026.
Ethereum Faces Challenges Amid Upgrade Delays
The delays in Pectra’s rollout come at a challenging time for Ethereum, which is grappling with declining ETH prices, leadership transitions at the Ethereum Foundation, and rising competition from rival blockchains like Solana. Over the past 7 days, ETH price has been struggling below $1,900 following BTC’s drop below $80,000.
Developers have also faced technical hurdles, including issues with validator exits, network synchronization, and ensuring compatibility across different client implementations. Some client teams have raised concerns over last-minute changes to the upgrade’s scope, further complicating coordination among execution and consensus teams.
Despite these challenges, Ethereum’s modular development structure continues to evolve, with developers working to ensure network stability before implementing major upgrades.
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