diff --git a/wire/wire.go b/wire/wire.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..94367c657
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wire/wire.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package wire
+
+import (
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
+)
+
+// Expose access to a global wire codec
+// TODO: maybe introduce some Context object
+// containing logger, config, codec that can
+// be threaded through everything to avoid this global
+
+var cdc *wire.Codec
+
+func init() {
+	cdc = wire.NewCodec()
+	crypto.RegisterWire(cdc)
+}
+
+func MarshalBinary(o interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
+	return cdc.MarshalBinary(o)
+}
+
+func UnmarshalBinary(bz []byte, ptr interface{}) error {
+	return cdc.UnmarshalBinary(bz, ptr)
+}
+
+func MarshalJSON(o interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
+	return cdc.MarshalJSON(o)
+}
+
+func UnmarshalJSON(jsonBz []byte, ptr interface{}) error {
+	return cdc.UnmarshalJSON(jsonBz, ptr)
+}
+
+func RegisterInterface(ptr interface{}, opts *wire.InterfaceOptions) {
+	cdc.RegisterInterface(ptr, opts)
+}
+
+func RegisterConcrete(o interface{}, name string, opts *wire.ConcreteOptions) {
+	cdc.RegisterConcrete(o, name, opts)
+}
+
+//-------------------------------
+
+const RFC3339Millis = wire.RFC3339Millis