diff --git a/rpc/core/accounts.go b/rpc/core/accounts.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b70fa1874
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/accounts.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/account"
+)
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func GenPrivAccount() *account.PrivAccount {
+	return account.GenPrivAccount()
+}
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func GetAccount(address []byte) *account.Account {
+	state := consensusState.GetState()
+	return state.GetAccount(address)
+}
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func ListAccounts() (uint, []*account.Account) {
+	var blockHeight uint
+	var accounts []*account.Account
+	state := consensusState.GetState()
+	blockHeight = state.LastBlockHeight
+	state.GetAccounts().Iterate(func(key interface{}, value interface{}) bool {
+		accounts = append(accounts, value.(*account.Account))
+		return false
+	})
+	return blockHeight, accounts
+}
diff --git a/rpc/core/blocks.go b/rpc/core/blocks.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a92d2044
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/blocks.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	. "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/common"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+)
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func BlockchainInfoHandler(minHeight, maxHeight uint) (uint, []*types.BlockMeta) {
+	if maxHeight == 0 {
+		maxHeight = blockStore.Height()
+	} else {
+		maxHeight = MinUint(blockStore.Height(), maxHeight)
+	}
+	if minHeight == 0 {
+		minHeight = uint(MaxInt(1, int(maxHeight)-20))
+	}
+	log.Debug("BlockchainInfoHandler", "maxHeight", maxHeight, "minHeight", minHeight)
+
+	blockMetas := []*types.BlockMeta{}
+	for height := maxHeight; height >= minHeight; height-- {
+		blockMeta := blockStore.LoadBlockMeta(height)
+		blockMetas = append(blockMetas, blockMeta)
+	}
+
+	return blockStore.Height(), blockMetas
+}
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func GetBlockHandler(height uint) (*types.BlockMeta, *types.Block, error) {
+	if height == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("height must be greater than 1")
+	}
+	if height > blockStore.Height() {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("height must be less than the current blockchain height")
+	}
+
+	blockMeta := blockStore.LoadBlockMeta(height)
+	block := blockStore.LoadBlock(height)
+	return blockMeta, block, nil
+}
diff --git a/rpc/core/log.go b/rpc/core/log.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d359bee26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/log.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"github.com/tendermint/log15"
+)
+
+var log = log15.New("module", "rpc")
diff --git a/rpc/core/mempool.go b/rpc/core/mempool.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e20dc2b54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/mempool.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	. "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/common"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/merkle"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/state"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+)
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+type Receipt struct {
+	TxHash          []byte
+	CreatesContract bool
+	ContractAddr    []byte
+}
+
+// pass pointer?
+// Note: tx must be signed
+func BroadcastTx(tx types.Tx) (*Receipt, error) {
+	err := mempoolReactor.BroadcastTx(tx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error broadcasting transaction: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	txHash := merkle.HashFromBinary(tx)
+	var createsContract bool
+	var contractAddr []byte
+	// check if creates new contract
+	if callTx, ok := tx.(*types.CallTx); ok {
+		if callTx.Address == nil {
+			createsContract = true
+			contractAddr = state.NewContractAddress(callTx.Input.Address, uint64(callTx.Input.Sequence))
+		}
+	}
+	return &Receipt{txHash, createsContract, contractAddr}, nil
+}
+
+/*
+curl -H 'content-type: text/plain;' http://127.0.0.1:8888/submit_tx?tx=...
+*/
diff --git a/rpc/core/net.go b/rpc/core/net.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b143d7271
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/net.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/config"
+	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/db"
+	sm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/state"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+)
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func Status() ([]byte, string, []byte, uint, int64) {
+	db := dbm.NewMemDB()
+	genesisState := sm.MakeGenesisStateFromFile(db, config.App().GetString("GenesisFile"))
+	genesisHash := genesisState.Hash()
+	latestHeight := blockStore.Height()
+	var (
+		latestBlockMeta *types.BlockMeta
+		latestBlockHash []byte
+		latestBlockTime int64
+	)
+	if latestHeight != 0 {
+		latestBlockMeta = blockStore.LoadBlockMeta(latestHeight)
+		latestBlockHash = latestBlockMeta.Hash
+		latestBlockTime = latestBlockMeta.Header.Time.UnixNano()
+	}
+
+	return genesisHash, config.App().GetString("Network"), latestBlockHash, latestHeight, latestBlockTime
+}
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func NetInfo() (int, bool, string) {
+	o, i, _ := p2pSwitch.NumPeers()
+	numPeers := o + i
+	listening := p2pSwitch.IsListening()
+	network := config.App().GetString("Network")
+	return numPeers, listening, network
+}
diff --git a/rpc/core/pipe.go b/rpc/core/pipe.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b939c6dd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/pipe.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/consensus"
+	mempl "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/mempool"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/p2p"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+)
+
+var blockStore *types.BlockStore
+var consensusState *consensus.ConsensusState
+var mempoolReactor *mempl.MempoolReactor
+var p2pSwitch *p2p.Switch
+
+func SetPipeBlockStore(bs *types.BlockStore) {
+	blockStore = bs
+}
+
+func SetPipeConsensusState(cs *consensus.ConsensusState) {
+	consensusState = cs
+}
+
+func SetPipeMempoolReactor(mr *mempl.MempoolReactor) {
+	mempoolReactor = mr
+}
+
+func SetPipeSwitch(sw *p2p.Switch) {
+	p2pSwitch = sw
+}
diff --git a/rpc/core/txs.go b/rpc/core/txs.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..805414898
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/txs.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/account"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+)
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func SignTx(tx types.Tx, privAccounts []*account.PrivAccount) (types.Tx, error) {
+	// more checks?
+
+	for i, privAccount := range privAccounts {
+		if privAccount == nil || privAccount.PrivKey == nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid (empty) privAccount @%v", i)
+		}
+	}
+
+	switch tx.(type) {
+	case *types.SendTx:
+		sendTx := tx.(*types.SendTx)
+		for i, input := range sendTx.Inputs {
+			input.PubKey = privAccounts[i].PubKey
+			input.Signature = privAccounts[i].Sign(sendTx)
+		}
+	case *types.CallTx:
+		callTx := tx.(*types.CallTx)
+		callTx.Input.PubKey = privAccounts[0].PubKey
+		callTx.Input.Signature = privAccounts[0].Sign(callTx)
+	case *types.BondTx:
+		bondTx := tx.(*types.BondTx)
+		for i, input := range bondTx.Inputs {
+			input.PubKey = privAccounts[i].PubKey
+			input.Signature = privAccounts[i].Sign(bondTx)
+		}
+	case *types.UnbondTx:
+		unbondTx := tx.(*types.UnbondTx)
+		unbondTx.Signature = privAccounts[0].Sign(unbondTx).(account.SignatureEd25519)
+	case *types.RebondTx:
+		rebondTx := tx.(*types.RebondTx)
+		rebondTx.Signature = privAccounts[0].Sign(rebondTx).(account.SignatureEd25519)
+	}
+	return tx, nil
+}
diff --git a/rpc/core/validators.go b/rpc/core/validators.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b1892f69b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/core/validators.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	sm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/state"
+)
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+func ListValidators() (uint, []*sm.Validator, []*sm.Validator) {
+	var blockHeight uint
+	var bondedValidators []*sm.Validator
+	var unbondingValidators []*sm.Validator
+
+	state := consensusState.GetState()
+	blockHeight = state.LastBlockHeight
+	state.BondedValidators.Iterate(func(index uint, val *sm.Validator) bool {
+		bondedValidators = append(bondedValidators, val)
+		return false
+	})
+	state.UnbondingValidators.Iterate(func(index uint, val *sm.Validator) bool {
+		unbondingValidators = append(unbondingValidators, val)
+		return false
+	})
+
+	return blockHeight, bondedValidators, unbondingValidators
+}