Interpreting Holesky: The first proof-of-stake consensus testnet after Ethereum's merge.

2023-09-19 10:00

Read this article in 10 Minutes

Original Title: "Understanding Holesky in One Article: The First Proof-of-Stake Consensus Test Network after Ethereum Merger"

Original Author: U.today

Translated by: PANews

This week, the Ethereum test network Goerli announced its exit from the stage of history, and the new generation test network Holesky took over its mission. Undoubtedly, this is an important milestone event in the development process of Ethereum. So, what are the reasons that prompted Ethereum to decide to bid farewell to Goerli in 2023, and what are the special features of the highly anticipated "successor" Holesky test network?

Replace Goerli: Ethereum's new testnet Holesky officially launched

On September 15, 2023, which marks the one-year anniversary of the Ethereum mainnet merge, Ethereum has chosen to take the Goerli testnet offline and migrate all developers to the latest test network - Holesky. This test network is also Ethereum's first Proof of Stake (PoS) testnet. Key information is as follows:

1. The Ethereum test network Holesky (also known as Holešky, Holeše ovice) was originally scheduled to go live on September 15, 2023 (Note: Due to network configuration errors, the launch failed and will be restarted within 1-2 weeks).

2. Holesky has officially replaced Goerli as a testnet that supports Ethereum staking, infrastructure, and protocol development.

3. For stress testing dApps, conducting smart contract experiments, and other EVM-related programs, developers can refer to the Sepolia testnet.

4. Holesky is the first Ethereum testnet based on proof of stake consensus.

5. Holesky will effectively solve the scalability issues of the Goerli testnet, including token shortages on the goETH testnet and a shortage of validators.

Holesky has 1.46 million validators, nearly twice that of the Ethereum mainnet.

Holesky testnet will be used until 2028.

Holesky's launch provides Ethereum developers with a new "sandbox" testing environment, where testers can verify the functionality of protocols, products, and services on the Ethereum blockchain.

Basic Knowledge: The Importance of Ethereum Testnet

In the field of cryptocurrency, a testnet is an experimental distributed network that can simulate various transaction processes that occur on the cryptocurrency network, but without the actual transfer of value. Like the mainnet, accounts can send tokens to each other, and validators confirm tokens by adding new blocks to the chain.

Ethereum testnet users can obtain participation tokens from the "faucet", which is a free testnet usage mechanism. If users complete certain tasks (such as sharing social media accounts, connecting to Discord, etc.), they can receive distributed free test ETH.

For dApps, stress testing is very necessary, and the test network also allows project parties to avoid the risk of "losing money". Therefore, whether it is a DeFi protocol or a cryptocurrency wallet, they will be tested on the test network before being deployed on the main network.

Ropsten, Rinkeby, Goerli, and Sepolia: Vital Ethereum Testnets

As the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and the first programmable blockchain with smart contract capabilities, Ethereum has used multiple testnets in its 8-year history.

1. In 2016, Ethereum launched the Ropsten test network to replace Morden. Ropsten is the first proof-of-work (PoW) Ethereum test network, and currently, the vast majority of dApps used by users on the Ethereum mainnet are tested on the Ropsten platform. Additionally, it was the first test network to "merge" from PoW to PoS during the Ethereum test.

2. In 2017, Ethereans launched Rinkeby, a testnet based on the Clique Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism. It is a modified version of the Ethereum Proof of Stake (PoS) testnet, but can only interact with client software versions of Go Ethereum (Geth).

3. In 2018, at the ETH Berlin conference, Ethereum developers launched Goerli as a multi-client testnet, which means that Goerli can be used for transactions with Ethereum software versions written in different programming languages.

4. In 2021, the Ethereum Sepolia testnet was launched, with no limit on the number of tokens in the testnet.

Holesky: "Very Special" Ethereum Testnet

To be frank, the Ethereum Holesky testnet is considered an attempt by core developers to address all the issues encountered by previous testnets and their teams in some way. Holesky is the first testnet launched after the "Ethereum merge", which means that Holesky does not have any Proof of Work (PoW) version. It is worth mentioning that the name "Holesky" is said to come from the Nádraží Holešovice subway station in the Czech capital of Prague.

Holesky's launch inevitably raises a question: what problems have arisen with the Goerli testnet? In fact, the Goerli testnet launched in 2018 does have some shortcomings, such as Goerli test users often facing a shortage of GoETH test tokens, which leads them to have to buy them with their own money, or even engage in testnet token speculation. This situation is obviously contradictory to the original intention of the testnet, and this problem should be effectively solved after the launch of Holesky. According to the creators of the Holesky testnet, they have allocated over 2 billion HoleskyETH upon release, which is enough to meet the needs of all developers.

In addition, the Holesky test network will have an unprecedented number of validators: 1.46 million validation entities will protect the network integrity. This number is more than the total number of validators on the Ethereum mainnet (over 800,000 validators) and the Goerli test network (approximately 512,000 validators). This will enable developers to more accurately simulate real-world Ethereum (ETH) operations.

On the other hand, Holesky will also collaborate with the Sepolia test network. Similar to the Ethereum test network in the past, Holesky itself has a set of independent validators, block explorers, and faucet ecosystems. Sepolia is a platform for testing smart contracts, decentralized applications, and all EVM functions. The collaboration between the two will promote Holesky as a technology platform that can conduct staking design, Ethereum universal infrastructure, and protocol-level development experimentation.

Not only that, Holesky, like other EVM-based blockchain ecosystems, has a set of network specifications. Users need to pay attention to some key parameters when connecting to the test network, as follows:

Name: HoleskyFlag -- Holesky Network ID: 17000 Chain ID: 17000 Block explorer: https://holesky.beaconcha.in/ Launch epoch: 1694786400

It is reported that the Holesky testnet will continue to operate until around 2028, with an expected operating period until December 2028. Currently, developers can immediately receive some HoleskyETH test tokens and start using the Holesky testnet. If you also want to experience it, you can try it out.