The Ethereum Foundation Will Shut Down The Ropsten Testnet

The Ethereum Foundation said in a blog post on Wednesday that the blockchain's Ropsten test network (testnet) has begun to wind down, with a full shutdown expected between December 15 and 31.

The announcement comes as developers have increasingly ceased engaging on the testnet in recent months, and participation rates have fallen.

Ethereum operates testnets, which allow developers to execute software before releasing it on Ethereum's main network (mainnet). Test networks, which are effectively clones of the Ethereum mainnet, allow client teams, infrastructure providers, and developers to test any modifications to their apps before introducing them in a higher-stakes setting.

Ethereum will also shut down its Rinkeby testnet in mid-2023, giving developers plenty of time to migrate any applications that are currently running to the Goerli or Sepolia testnets.

All of these testnets were critical in the creation and testing of Ethereum prior to the big Merge upgrade, when Ethereum switched from a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. Goerli and Sepolia both conducted their own Merge tests (meaning they switched from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake), hence they are the closest analogous to the environment in which the Ethereum blockchain now runs. As a result, such testnets are likely to remain operational.
Etherscan, a blockchain explorer, discontinued infrastructure support for Rinkeby and Ropsten in October.

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