Goerli ETH Is No Longer Available: What Developers Need to Know

Looking for Goerli ETH? If you've searched the internet, you may have seen outdated articles suggesting that Goerli ETH tokens are still available.

If you’ve searched the internet for Goerli ETH, you may have encountered outdated articles suggesting that Goerli ETH tokens are still available. However, this information is no longer accurate.

In this article, we’ll set the record straight. We’ll explain what Goerli ETH was, how it was used, why it’s no longer a viable option, and what alternative solutions you can explore now.

Stay tuned for the facts and up-to-date guidance!

Where Can You Obtain Goerli Testnet ETH for Free?

In the past, platforms like Alchemy, QuickNode, Infura, and Moralis offered faucets that allowed users to get Goerli Testnet ETH for free. These were among the most popular options for developers to easily access Goerli ETH.

However, this is no longer the case. These major platforms no longer provide free Goerli ETH through their faucets, and alternatives are also scarce (towards non-existent).

Below, we’ll explain why this change has occurred and what it means for those seeking Goerli ETH.

What Was the Goerli Testnet, and What Did Its Tokens Represent?

The Goerli Testnet was a public blockchain network designed to test and develop applications on the Ethereum blockchain. It functioned as a replica of the main Ethereum network but utilized test Ethereum (ETH) tokens that held no real-world value.

Primarily, the Goerli Testnet served as an important environment for developers to test decentralized applications (dApps) before deploying them to the main Ethereum network (a cross-client testnet). This allowed developers to identify and address bugs early on, ultimately saving time and resources.

Although widely used, the Goerli Testnet was officially phased out after its sunset date on April 13, 2024.

Why Goerli Testnet Isn’t Available Anymore? The ENTIRE Story

Over time, the Ethereum Foundation recognized the need for a more modern and efficient testnet as it became clear that Goerli was struggling to keep pace with Ethereum’s evolution.

The Merge event (The Ethereum Merge was a noteworthy upgrade that transitioned the Ethereum blockchain from a proof-of-work consensus mechanism to a proof-of-stake system. This transition combined the Ethereum Mainnet with the Beacon Chain, resulting in a more energy-efficient and scalable network) accentuated this even more and introduced new complexities that required a more up-to-date testnet.

That’s when they began exploring solutions to address the issue. One potential answer was Sepolia, launched shortly after The Merge to offer developers a testing environment better suited to the new PoS consensus mechanism and the evolving Ethereum ecosystem. However, no final decision had been made at that time.

That changed in March 2024. The final nail in the coffin for Goerli came with the introduction of the Dencun network upgrade on March 13, 2024. This upgrade brought significant improvements to the Ethereum mainnet, and with it, the Ethereum Foundation announced the sunset date for Goerli, which was April 13, 2024.

The decision to deprecate Goerli Testnet wasn’t made lightly. The Ethereum Foundation saw the need to streamline the Ethereum ecosystem, offering developers a more unified and up-to-date testing environment. The goal was to reduce fragmentation and improve the developer experience by focusing on a single, well-supported testnet.

As Ethereum’s mainnet grew more complex, keeping Goerli fully synchronized and representative became increasingly difficult. The technical challenges and significant resources required to maintain it began to outweigh its usefulness.

One of the main issues with Goerli was its use of the Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism, which, while reliable for testing, didn’t fully reflect the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) system that Ethereum was shifting towards. This gap made it harder for developers to accurately gauge how their applications would perform on the main network.

As Goerli’s state size grew, syncing times became slower, and the resources needed to run nodes increased, making it less practical for testing purposes—especially for applications requiring a lot of historical data or frequent updates.

This led to the creation of Sepolia.

Sepolia was specifically launched to provide developers with a PoS-based testnet that closely mirrored the mainnet’s consensus process. This allowed developers to test their applications in an environment that more accurately represented how they would function in the real world.

Additionally, Sepolia was optimized for faster synchronization times and required fewer resources, making it a more efficient and scalable testing ground for applications of all sizes.

So, as Goerli was phased out, major infrastructure providers began discontinuing their support. Developers who had relied on Goerli for years were encouraged to transition to a new testnet: Sepolia.

As a result, developers working on applications and tools are now encouraged to use Sepolia, as it was built

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