---
title: "Are testnet tokens worth real money?"
url: "https://worldwiki.io/q/are-testnet-tokens-worth-real-money"
type: "question"
language: "en"
intent: "informational"
entity: "Blockchain Mainnet"
topic: "Blockchain"
published: "2026-09-18 07:10:23"
updated: "2026-09-18 16:10:23"
---

# Are testnet tokens worth real money?

## Short answer

Testnet tokens are meant to have no real value. They are handed out free through faucets so developers can test without financial risk. Ethereum's documentation notes, though, that markets have formed for some testnet ETH that became scarce or hard to get. Testnets can also be deprecated or reset. Holešky, for example, was deprecated in September 2025. So testnet tokens should not be treated as a store of value.

## Answer

Ethereum's Ephemery testnet resets fully about every 28 days [2], and the Holešky testnet was shut down after the Fusaka upgrade finalized on it [5].

## Related questions

- [What is a blockchain mainnet?](https://worldwiki.io/q/what-is-a-blockchain-mainnet)
- [How are blockchain mainnet upgrades done?](https://worldwiki.io/q/how-are-blockchain-mainnet-upgrades-done)
- [What is Ethereum mainnet chain ID?](https://worldwiki.io/q/what-is-ethereum-mainnet-chain-id)
- [What is the difference between mainnet and testnet?](https://worldwiki.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-mainnet-and-testnet)
- [What does mainnet launch mean in crypto?](https://worldwiki.io/q/what-does-mainnet-launch-mean-in-crypto)

## Sources

1. [Blockchain Technology Overview (NISTIR 8202)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.11078) — National Institute of Standards and Technology (via arXiv) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/171
2. [Networks](https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/networks/) — ethereum.org · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/172
3. [Holesky and Hoodi Testnet Updates](https://blog.ethereum.org/2025/03/18/hoodi-holesky) — Ethereum Foundation Blog · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/173
4. [Pectra Mainnet Announcement](https://blog.ethereum.org/2025/04/23/pectra-mainnet) — Ethereum Foundation Blog · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/174
5. [Holešky Testnet Shutdown Announcement](https://blog.ethereum.org/2025/09/01/holesky-shutdown-announcement) — Ethereum Foundation Blog · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/175
6. [Solana Clusters](https://solana.com/docs/references/clusters) — Solana Foundation · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/176
7. [Using a test network](https://bitcoincore.academy/testnets.html) — Bitcoin Core Onboarding · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/177
8. [Genesis block](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Genesis_block) — Bitcoin Wiki · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/178
9. [Ethereum Launches Long-Awaited Decentralized App Network](https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2015/07/30/ethereum-launches-long-awaited-decentralized-app-network) — CoinDesk · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/179
10. [EIP-155: Simple replay attack protection](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-155) — Ethereum Improvement Proposals · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/180
11. [The Merge](https://ethereum.org/roadmap/merge/) — ethereum.org · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/160
12. [Taproot](https://bitcoinops.org/en/topics/taproot/) — Bitcoin Optech · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/181