After two problematic tests of Ethereum’s upcoming pectra upgrade, the network’s core developers decided on Thursday to create a new test network to demonstrate the code update one last time before implementation.
“A new test network, Hooli, goes live on Monday to wrap pectra testing,” said Tim Beiko, who coordinates the core developers of the ecosystem at the Ethereum Foundation, in an X post after a developer call on Thursday. Pectra will be tested at Hooli on Wednesday, March 26 – when the test chain will be upgraded to the new version of Ethereum and evaluated for performance and stability.
Pectra includes more code changes designed to make Ethereum faster, more efficient and more user -friendly for both users and developers. One of the most significant improvements adds “Smart Contract” functionality to addresses, making it possible to program the user’s wallets with new features such as the possibility of paying transaction fees in currencies other than ETH.
If the Hooli test succeeds, Beiko said developers will launch the upgrade after about 30 days, subject to further testing. If everything continues as planned, Ethereum users can expect pectra to reach the main network of the ecosystem in late April or early May.
The Hooli Test Network was created after complications with pectra tests on Sepolia and Holeky, Ethereum’s primary test network. In both cases, configuration error prevented proper testing of the pectra upgrade. In Holeky’s case, the network was offline for several weeks due to the defective test problems.
Test networks such as Holeky, Sepolia and Hooli work almost identical to the most important Ethereum network, but is generally free to use and not intended to support real value. Larger upgrades such as pectra are typically implemented on Ethereum’s test network before full implementation on the mainnet, as any disturbances at the actual Ethereum network could be extremely expensive.
According to Beiko, Sepolia and Holeky – who now run Pectra successfully – serve different testing purposes. “If you need to test validator outputs, be looking for [Hooli]! Everything else can be tested on Sepolia & Holeky, “Beiko said in his Thursday post at X.
Pectra’s technical setback comes in a challenging period for Ethereum. The network has been exposed to increasing pressure from falling ETH prices, management transitions at the Ethereum Foundation and growing skepticism to its ability to maintain market dominance in the midst of competition from recent blockchains like Solana. Industrial figures consider the successful implementation of Pectra as crucial to restore confidence in Ethereum’s technical roadmap.
