The anticipated launch of a new test network, Holesky, by Ethereum developers went askew on Friday. It was intended to be a celebration to mark the first anniversary of Ethereum’s historic “Merge” upgrade. However, due to a misconfiguration in one of the network’s genesis files, the event served to dampen the festive mood and resulted in a two-week postponement of the launch. Ethereum hasn’t been accustomed to such setbacks; their track record over the past year includes a smooth implementation of key upgrades and the remarkable growth of its ecosystem.
Ethereum stands out as the second-largest blockchain after Bitcoin. Yet, unlike its Bitcoin counterpart, it remains the largest in supporting smart contracts. These are programmable features embedded within the network, creating functions like an inbuilt computer. Developers use test networks or testnets, which are blockchain replicas, to simulate transactions and field test applications before deployment on a mainnet blockchain.
Taking into account Ethereum’s advancements, Holesky was intended to alleviate Ethereum’s scaling issues. The testnet should allow twice as many validators to join the network, compared to the mainnet. Parithosh Jayanthi, a devops engineer at the Ethereum Foundation, stated that the intention is to start anew, disregarding the possibility of reviving the network with a fix. He mentioned this to be the best approach as Holesky is envisioned to be an enduring network.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that Holesky is pivotal for Ethereum’s subsequent hard fork, Dencun. Here, proto-danksharding – a technical feature that will upscale the blockchain capacities– is set to launch. However, Jayanthi assured that Holesky’s launch setback wouldn’t affect the timing of the Dencun release. While the mishap isn’t ideal, it’s also not the ultimate doomsday for the Ethereum.
It’s also important to emphasize that the Goerli testnet, the predecessor of Holesky, is still functional, allowing developers to test applications within that network. This occasion marked the first anniversary of Ethereum’s “Merge,” where Ethereum made history by becoming a proof-of-stake blockchain and replacing its power-hungry, previous proof-of-work model. However, the failure to launch Holesky put a slight dampener on the commemoration.
Source: Coindesk
