Ethereum recently faced a surprising failure after failing to launch its Holesky test network. The network was set to be the celebratory launch for the Merge from last year.
Some of the validators managed to launch the test network manually. However, a misconfiguration in the network’s genesis files led to the failure. Ethereum core developers revealed this information shortly after the launch mishap.
Soon after the development, Ethereum postponed the launch for two weeks. The network will use the time to regroup and retest the entire plan. A developer from Ethereum talked about the issue on Twitter/X.
Given the status Ethereum boasts, missteps of such nature are quite rare. The network even concluded its massive Merge update without a hitch. Similarly, Ethereum had previously integrated the Shapella network without such issues.
The entire industry is closely monitoring Ethereum, which is the second-largest blockchain. Thus, the recent failure reflects poorly on both Ethereum and the blockchain in general.
The Holesky update was planned to replace the current Goerli testnet. However, since the launch failed, the Goerli testnet is still live for developers. Developers can test apps on the network, which is expected to stay live until Q1 2024.
With Holesky, Ethereum plans on easing several scaling troubles. The update will help developers support twice as many validators entering the network compared to the mainnet.
Parithosh Jayanthi, a DevOps engineer at Ethereum, stated that resurrecting the network was a choice for the network. However, Ethereum decided to start with a clean slate to ensure the network stayed around for years.
Dencun, the next Ethereum hard fork, relies on Holesky, so the testnet must be executed perfectly. Ethereum has confirmed that this setback does not affect the expected launch date of Dencun.
The debut was scheduled to coincide with the first anniversary of the “Merge,” the momentous occasion at which Ethereum switched to a more efficient “proof-of-stake” blockchain model in place of its previous “proof-of-work” system.