diff --git a/Gopkg.lock b/Gopkg.lock
index 1085b42..6eaa3b2 100644
--- a/Gopkg.lock
+++ b/Gopkg.lock
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
     "sortkeys",
     "types"
   ]
-  revision = "1adfc126b41513cc696b209667c8656ea7aac67c"
-  version = "v1.0.0"
+  revision = "636bf0302bc95575d69441b25a2603156ffdddf1"
+  version = "v1.1.1"
 
 [[projects]]
   name = "github.com/golang/protobuf"
@@ -61,23 +61,15 @@
   version = "v0.8.0"
 
 [[projects]]
-  name = "github.com/tendermint/abci"
+  name = "github.com/tendermint/tendermint"
   packages = [
-    "example/code",
-    "server",
-    "types"
-  ]
-  revision = "78a8905690ef54f9d57e3b2b0ee7ad3a04ef3f1f"
-  version = "v0.10.3"
-
-[[projects]]
-  name = "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs"
-  packages = [
-    "common",
-    "log"
+    "abci/server",
+    "abci/types",
+    "libs/common",
+    "libs/log"
   ]
-  revision = "d970af87248a4e162590300dbb74e102183a417d"
-  version = "v0.8.3"
+  revision = "013b9cef642f875634c614019ab13b17570778ad"
+  version = "v0.23.0"
 
 [[projects]]
   branch = "master"
@@ -86,10 +78,9 @@
     "ed25519",
     "ed25519/internal/edwards25519"
   ]
-  revision = "1a580b3eff7814fc9b40602fd35256c63b50f491"
+  revision = "f027049dab0ad238e394a753dba2d14753473a04"
 
 [[projects]]
-  branch = "master"
   name = "golang.org/x/net"
   packages = [
     "context",
@@ -100,7 +91,7 @@
     "internal/timeseries",
     "trace"
   ]
-  revision = "8e0cdda24ed423affc8f35c241e5e9b16180338e"
+  revision = "292b43bbf7cb8d35ddf40f8d5100ef3837cced3f"
 
 [[projects]]
   name = "golang.org/x/text"
@@ -127,31 +118,39 @@
   branch = "master"
   name = "google.golang.org/genproto"
   packages = ["googleapis/rpc/status"]
-  revision = "11a468237815f3a3ddf9f7c6e8b6b3b382a24d15"
+  revision = "daca94659cb50e9f37c1b834680f2e46358f10b0"
 
 [[projects]]
   name = "google.golang.org/grpc"
   packages = [
     ".",
     "balancer",
+    "balancer/base",
+    "balancer/roundrobin",
     "codes",
     "connectivity",
     "credentials",
-    "grpclb/grpc_lb_v1/messages",
+    "encoding",
+    "encoding/proto",
     "grpclog",
     "internal",
+    "internal/backoff",
+    "internal/channelz",
+    "internal/grpcrand",
     "keepalive",
     "metadata",
     "naming",
     "peer",
     "resolver",
+    "resolver/dns",
+    "resolver/passthrough",
     "stats",
     "status",
     "tap",
     "transport"
   ]
-  revision = "5b3c4e850e90a4cf6a20ebd46c8b32a0a3afcb9e"
-  version = "v1.7.5"
+  revision = "168a6198bcb0ef175f7dacec0b8691fc141dc9b8"
+  version = "v1.13.0"
 
 [[projects]]
   branch = "v2"
@@ -163,11 +162,11 @@
     "internal/sasl",
     "internal/scram"
   ]
-  revision = "3f83fa5005286a7fe593b055f0d7771a7dce4655"
+  revision = "9856a29383ce1c59f308dd1cf0363a79b5bef6b5"
 
 [solve-meta]
   analyzer-name = "dep"
   analyzer-version = 1
-  inputs-digest = "894cdc23200fd590b6580355e5ca4cd4ad2b29924bb73d8be704f7c509fe3a41"
+  inputs-digest = "6fb21f6f6b7b6ac14487967921d9e94da72b2a89b4fcdc4765b9f09b13cf53fb"
   solver-name = "gps-cdcl"
   solver-version = 1
diff --git a/Gopkg.toml b/Gopkg.toml
index 4b7a5da..b1ce610 100644
--- a/Gopkg.toml
+++ b/Gopkg.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Gopkg.toml example
 #
-# Refer to https://golang.github.io/dep/docs/Gopkg.toml.html
+# Refer to https://github.com/golang/dep/blob/master/docs/Gopkg.toml.md
 # for detailed Gopkg.toml documentation.
 #
 # required = ["github.com/user/thing/cmd/thing"]
@@ -26,12 +26,8 @@
 
 
 [[constraint]]
-  name = "github.com/tendermint/abci"
-  version = "0.10.3"
-
-[[constraint]]
-  name = "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs"
-  version = "0.8.3"
+  name = "github.com/tendermint/tendermint"
+  version = "0.23.0"
 
 [[constraint]]
   branch = "master"
diff --git a/jsonstore/jsonstore.go b/jsonstore/jsonstore.go
index 3ce7baa..99b377c 100644
--- a/jsonstore/jsonstore.go
+++ b/jsonstore/jsonstore.go
@@ -15,12 +15,17 @@ import (
 
 	"mint/code"
 
-	"github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/ed25519"
 	mgo "gopkg.in/mgo.v2"
 	"gopkg.in/mgo.v2/bson"
 )
 
+const (
+	// TODO should come from config file
+	numActiveValidators = 4
+)
+
 var _ types.Application = (*JSONStoreApplication)(nil)
 var db *mgo.Database
 
@@ -74,6 +79,31 @@ type UserCommentVote struct {
 	CommentID bson.ObjectId `bson:"commentID" json:"commentID"`
 }
 
+// Validator
+type Validator struct {
+	ID      []byte       `bson:"_id" json:"_id"`
+	Name    string       `bson:"name" json:"name"`
+	PubKey  types.PubKey `bson:"pubKey" json:"pubKey"`
+	Upvotes int          `bson:"upvotes" json:"upvotes"`
+	Power   int64        `bson:"power" json:"power"`
+}
+
+func (v Validator) ToTDValidator() types.Validator {
+	return types.Validator{
+		PubKey: v.PubKey,
+		Power:  v.Power,
+	}
+}
+
+// ValidatorsVotes
+// TODO there should be an index ensured on ValidatorID, UserID and
+// probs multikey index on ValidatorID and UserID
+type UserValidatorVote struct {
+	ID          bson.ObjectId `bson:"_id" json:"_id"`
+	ValidatorID bson.ObjectId `bson:"validatorID" json:"validatorID"`
+	UserID      bson.ObjectId `bson:"userID" json:"userID"`
+}
+
 // JSONStoreApplication ...
 type JSONStoreApplication struct {
 	types.BaseApplication
@@ -88,7 +118,7 @@ func byteToHex(input []byte) string {
 }
 
 func findTotalDocuments(db *mgo.Database) int64 {
-	collections := [5]string{"posts", "comments", "users", "userpostvotes", "usercommentvotes"}
+	collections := [6]string{"posts", "comments", "users", "userpostvotes", "usercommentvotes", "validators"}
 	var sum int64
 
 	for _, collection := range collections {
@@ -202,6 +232,7 @@ func (app *JSONStoreApplication) DeliverTx(tx []byte) types.ResponseDeliverTx {
 			panic(dbErr)
 		}
 
+		// TODO is that really needed? it's being created on upvotePost too.
 		var document UserPostVote
 		document.ID = bson.NewObjectId()
 		document.UserID = user.ID
@@ -235,6 +266,61 @@ func (app *JSONStoreApplication) DeliverTx(tx []byte) types.ResponseDeliverTx {
 		}
 
 		break
+
+	case "upvoteValidator":
+		entity := body["entity"].(map[string]interface{})
+
+		// validate user exists
+		pubKeyBytes, errDecode := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(message["publicKey"].(string))
+
+		if errDecode != nil {
+			panic(errDecode)
+		}
+
+		publicKey := strings.ToUpper(byteToHex(pubKeyBytes))
+
+		var user User
+		err := db.C("users").Find(bson.M{"publicKey": publicKey}).One(&user)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		fmt.Println("user validated!")
+
+		userID := user.ID
+		validatorID := bson.ObjectIdHex(entity["validator"].(string))
+
+		// validate validator exists
+		_, err = db.C("validators").Find(bson.M{"_id": validatorID}).Limit(1).Count()
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+
+		userValidatorVote := UserValidatorVote{}
+		var upvote int8
+		err = db.C("uservalidatorvotes").Find(bson.M{"userID": userID, "validatorID": validatorID}).One(&userValidatorVote)
+		if err == nil {
+			errRemoval := db.C("uservalidatorvotes").Remove(bson.M{"userID": userID, "validatorID": validatorID})
+			if errRemoval == nil {
+				upvote = -1
+			}
+		} else {
+			var newUserValidatorVote UserValidatorVote
+			newUserValidatorVote.ID = bson.NewObjectId()
+			newUserValidatorVote.UserID = userID
+			newUserValidatorVote.ValidatorID = validatorID
+
+			insertErr := db.C("uservalidatorvotes").Insert(newUserValidatorVote)
+			if insertErr == nil {
+				upvote = 1
+			}
+		}
+		err = db.C("validators").Update(bson.M{"_id": validatorID}, bson.M{"$inc": bson.M{"upvotes": upvote}})
+		if err != nil {
+			// TODO should be properly logged
+			fmt.Sprintf("Failed to update votes for validator %s by user %s", validatorID, userID)
+		}
+		fmt.Println("validator validated!")
+
 	case "upvotePost":
 		entity := body["entity"].(map[string]interface{})
 
@@ -446,6 +532,24 @@ func (app *JSONStoreApplication) CheckTx(tx []byte) types.ResponseCheckTx {
 
 	// ===== Data Validation =======
 	switch body["type"] {
+	// TODO consider doing more sophisticated validations here like
+	// checking existance of users and validators here
+	// assuming tx cannot be tempered with beteen CheckTx and DeliverTx
+	case "upvoteValidator":
+		fmt.Println("received upvote start")
+		entity := body["entity"].(map[string]interface{})
+
+		if (entity["validator"] == nil) || (bson.IsObjectIdHex(entity["validator"].(string)) != true) {
+			codeType = code.CodeTypeBadData
+			break
+		}
+		fmt.Println("received upvote here")
+		if (entity["user"] == nil) || (bson.IsObjectIdHex(entity["user"].(string)) != true) {
+			codeType = code.CodeTypeBadData
+			break
+		}
+		fmt.Println("received upvote end")
+
 	case "createPost":
 		entity := body["entity"].(map[string]interface{})
 
@@ -524,3 +628,55 @@ func (app *JSONStoreApplication) Commit() types.ResponseCommit {
 func (app *JSONStoreApplication) Query(reqQuery types.RequestQuery) (resQuery types.ResponseQuery) {
 	return
 }
+
+func (app *JSONStoreApplication) InitChain(req types.RequestInitChain) types.ResponseInitChain {
+	fmt.Println("calling InitChain")
+	// TODO only used for testing atm!!!
+	addValidators(req.GetValidators())
+	return types.ResponseInitChain{}
+}
+
+func addValidators(validators []types.Validator) {
+	var mintValidators []interface{}
+	if validators != nil {
+		for _, element := range validators {
+			validator := Validator{
+				ID:      element.GetAddress(),
+				Name:    "mintValidator",
+				PubKey:  element.GetPubKey(),
+				Power:   element.GetPower(),
+				Upvotes: 0,
+			}
+			mintValidators = append(mintValidators, validator)
+		}
+		dbErr := db.C("validators").Insert(mintValidators...)
+		if dbErr != nil {
+			panic(dbErr)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (app *JSONStoreApplication) EndBlock(req types.RequestEndBlock) types.ResponseEndBlock {
+	// TODO below solution needs confirmation through testing on multiple nodes.
+	// according to documentation "To add a new validator or update an existing one,
+	// simply include them in the list returned in the EndBlock response.
+	// To remove one, include it in the list with a power equal to 0."
+	// That means below solution may not be removing any validators atm!
+
+	var validators []Validator
+
+	err := db.C("validators").Find(nil).Sort("-upvotes").Limit(numActiveValidators).All(&validators)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	var tdValidators []types.Validator
+
+	for _, validator := range validators {
+		tdValidator := validator.ToTDValidator()
+		tdValidators = append(tdValidators, tdValidator)
+	}
+	fmt.Println(tdValidators)
+
+	return types.ResponseEndBlock{ValidatorUpdates: tdValidators}
+}
diff --git a/mint.go b/mint.go
index 115fdf8..1c91531 100644
--- a/mint.go
+++ b/mint.go
@@ -1,15 +1,24 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"mint/jsonstore"
 	"os"
 
-	"github.com/tendermint/abci/server"
-	"github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/server"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
 	mgo "gopkg.in/mgo.v2"
 
-	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
+	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/common"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
+)
+
+const (
+	defaultMongoHost = "localhost"
+)
+
+const (
+	defaultMongoHost = "localhost"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -22,14 +31,18 @@ func initJSONStore() error {
 	// Create the application
 	var app types.Application
 
-	session, err := mgo.Dial("localhost")
+	mongoHost := os.Args[2]
+	if mongoHost == "" {
+		mongoHost = defaultMongoHost
+	}
+	session, err := mgo.Dial(mongoHost)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 	db := session.DB("tendermintdb")
 
 	// Clean the DB on each reboot
-	collections := [5]string{"posts", "comments", "users", "userpostvotes", "usercommentvotes"}
+	collections := [7]string{"posts", "comments", "users", "userpostvotes", "usercommentvotes", "validators", "uservalidatorvotes"}
 
 	for _, collection := range collections {
 		db.C(collection).RemoveAll(nil)
@@ -38,7 +51,8 @@ func initJSONStore() error {
 	app = jsonstore.NewJSONStoreApplication(db)
 
 	// Start the listener
-	srv, err := server.NewServer("tcp://0.0.0.0:46658", "socket", app)
+	proxyAppPort := os.Args[1]
+	srv, err := server.NewServer(fmt.Sprintf("tcp://0.0.0.0:%s", proxyAppPort), "socket", app)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/testing/README.md b/testing/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5babdce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+
+Run:
+
+docker run -d -p 27016:27017 -v ~/temp/mongo1:/data/db mongo
+docker run -d -p 27015:27017 -v ~/temp/mongo2:/data/db mongo
+docker run -d -p 27014:27017 -v ~/temp/mongo3:/data/db mongo
+docker run -d -p 27013:27017 -v ~/temp/mongo4:/data/db mongo
+
+Run:
+- tendermint testnet --starting-ip-address 192.168.0.1
+- get node_ids for each node:
+    example: tendermint --home mytestnet/node3/ show_node_id
+- update SEEDS variable in launch_testnet_nodes.sh with appropriate node_ids
+- run ./launch_testnet_nodes.sh
+
+Reset:
+1. either wipe mytestnet folder and redo above steps
+2. or do the following:
+- go to each node config folder (example /mytestnet/node0)
+- remove data folder, addressbook.json
+- update priv_validator.json by replaing removing all fields starting with "last_*" and
+adding below instead:
+"last_height": 0,
+"last_round": 0,
+"last_step": 0,
diff --git a/testing/launch_testnet_nodes.sh b/testing/launch_testnet_nodes.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5076049
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/launch_testnet_nodes.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+# Launch multiple bash terminal tab windows by running the command `bash launch.sh`
+
+#!/bin/bash
+# File: ~/launch.sh
+
+# Original Code Reference: http://dan.doezema.com/2013/04/programmatically-create-title-tabs-within-the-mac-os-x-terminal-app/
+# New-BSD License by Original Author Daniel Doezema http://dan.doezema.com/licenses/new-bsd/
+
+# Modified by Luke Schoen in 2017 to include loading new tabs such as client and server and automatically open webpage in browser.
+# Modified by Luke Schoen in 2018 to include launching multiple tabs for Tendermint Testnet Nodes
+
+function new_tab() {
+  TAB_NAME=$1
+  DELAY=$2
+  COMMAND=$3
+  osascript \
+    -e "tell application \"Terminal\"" \
+    -e "tell application \"System Events\" to keystroke \"t\" using {command down}" \
+    -e "do script \"$DELAY; printf '\\\e]1;$TAB_NAME\\\a'; $COMMAND\" in front window" \
+    -e "end tell" > /dev/null
+}
+
+IP=0.0.0.0
+AA=tcp://$IP
+# SEEDS=""
+SEEDS="72f768fd9e76271c43d05ce7fb32c367ac645f68@$IP:46656,5afaaa9876b8dc0628e244cb59163472ea8e0123@$IP:46666,1e467deae3d559bfc747dc9acd14a40dc00ef933@$IP:46676,47cf808a11961ac3797958042d81874d3ede9892@$IP:46686"
+TESTNET_ROOT_DIR="~/go-workspace/src/mint/testing/"
+TESTNET_FOLDER="mytestnet"
+NODE_0_NAME="node0"
+NODE_1_NAME="node1"
+NODE_2_NAME="node2"
+NODE_3_NAME="node3"
+echo "Removing Previous Tendermint Testnet Files: $TESTNET_ROOT_DIR/$TESTNET_FOLDER"
+rm -rf "$TESTNET_ROOT_DIR/$TESTNET_FOLDER"
+echo "Tendermint Testnet Location: $TESTNET_ROOT_DIR/$TESTNET_FOLDER"
+echo "Loading Nodes: $NODE_0_NAME, $NODE_1_NAME, $NODE_2_NAME, $NODE_3_NAME"
+echo "Loading Seeds: $SEEDS"
+
+new_tab "node_0" \
+        "echo 'Loading node_0...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo node_0; tendermint node --home "$TESTNET_ROOT_DIR/$TESTNET_FOLDER/$NODE_0_NAME" --rpc.laddr="$AA:46657" --p2p.laddr="$AA:46656" --p2p.seeds=$SEEDS --proxy_app="tcp://127.0.0.1:46658" --p2p.persistent_peers=""; exec $SHELL'"
+
+new_tab "mint_0" \
+        "echo 'Loading mint_0...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo mint_0; cd ~/go-workspace/src/mint; ./mint 46658 'localhost:27013'; exec $SHELL'"
+
+new_tab "node_1" \
+        "echo 'Loading node_1...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo node_1; tendermint node --home "$TESTNET_ROOT_DIR/$TESTNET_FOLDER/$NODE_1_NAME" --rpc.laddr="$AA:46667" --p2p.laddr="$AA:46666" --p2p.seeds=$SEEDS --proxy_app="tcp://127.0.0.1:46668" --p2p.persistent_peers=""; exec $SHELL'"
+
+new_tab "mint_1" \
+        "echo 'Loading mint_1...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo mint_1; cd ~/go-workspace/src/mint; ./mint 46668 'localhost:27014'; exec $SHELL'"
+
+new_tab "node_2" \
+        "echo 'Loading node_2...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo node_2; tendermint node --home "$TESTNET_ROOT_DIR/$TESTNET_FOLDER/$NODE_2_NAME" --rpc.laddr="$AA:46677" --p2p.laddr="$AA:46676" --p2p.seeds=$SEEDS --proxy_app="tcp://127.0.0.1:46678" --p2p.persistent_peers=""; exec $SHELL'"
+
+new_tab "mint_2" \
+        "echo 'Loading mint_2...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo mint_2; cd ~/go-workspace/src/mint; ./mint 46678 'localhost:27015'; exec $SHELL'"
+
+new_tab "node_3" \
+        "echo 'Loading node_3...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo node_3; tendermint node --home "$TESTNET_ROOT_DIR/$TESTNET_FOLDER/$NODE_3_NAME" --rpc.laddr="$AA:46687" --p2p.laddr="$AA:46686" --p2p.seeds=$SEEDS --proxy_app="tcp://127.0.0.1:46688" --p2p.persistent_peers=""; exec $SHELL'"
+
+new_tab "mint_3" \
+        "echo 'Loading mint_3...'" \
+        "bash -c 'echo mint_3; cd ~/go-workspace/src/mint; ./mint 46688 'localhost:27016'; exec $SHELL'"