Last Updated on 2 hours by Ali Raza

Originally slated for a grand debut on September 15 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Ethereum’s landmark “Merge” transition, the launch of the Holesky test network hit a snag. However, Ethereum developers have regrouped and made a successful second attempt.

On Thursday, Ethereum developers demonstrated a noteworthy achievement in their second try at launching the Holesky test network, following a previous failed attempt earlier this month. As of 8:23 am ET, the launch process appeared to be proceeding smoothly, though developers emphasized that a minimum “participation rate” of 66% must be met before the launch can be considered final.

During a livestream on YouTube hosted by EthStaker, one developer remarked around 8:10 am ET, “It looks like the launch is successful.” Another developer on the call responded with enthusiasm, saying, “Not going to have to build a third one!”

The new Holesky network serves as a crucial testing ground for developers to experiment with ambitious scaling solutions for the primary Ethereum blockchain. It will replace the Goerli testnet, which is currently in widespread use. The new testnet will enable twice as many validators to join the network compared to the mainnet and aims to address the supply issues of testnet ETH experienced on Goerli.

Originally scheduled for launch on September 15 to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Ethereum’s transition to a more energy-efficient proof-of-stake blockchain through the Merge upgrade, the launch was postponed due to misconfiguration issues, according to developers. Opting for a fresh start, Parithosh Jayanthi, a devops engineer at the Ethereum Foundation, explained in an interview with CoinDesk that they decided to delay the launch, considering that it will be a new network with a long lifespan.

Holesky is set to play a vital role in Ethereum’s upcoming hard fork, known as Dencun. This hard fork will introduce proto-danksharding, a technical feature aimed at reducing gas fees and enhancing the efficiency of the Ethereum network.