Ethereum (ETH) is preparing to launch a new testnet called Holesky next month.
Ethereum developers held a Zoom meeting yesterday on the subject and announced that the new testnet will go live next month.
Testnets can be defined as clone blockchains that allow developers to test their applications and smart contracts before deploying them to the mainnet. Ethereum currently has two main testnets: Goerli and Sepolia. However, Goerli is expected to be phased out soon, replacing Holesky.
Holesky will potentially have a supply of over 1 billion testnet ETH, making it easier for developers to access testnet ETH for testing purposes.
Holesky will replace Goerli as the testnet for staking, infrastructure and protocol development, according to details identified at the Ethereum developers' meeting yesterday. Sepolia will remain the testnet for decentralized applications (DApps), smart contracts, and other Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) functionality.
The name Holesky comes from Nádraží Holešovice, a train station in Prague, Czech Republic. The name is a continuation of the tradition of giving Ethereum testnets the names of train stations. Goerli, for example, was named after the Goerlitzer Bahnhof station in Berlin, Germany.
*Not investment advice.