diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a477a2de..0a15690c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -29,16 +29,10 @@ npm-debug.log
 .nodemonignore
 
 .DS_Store
-db/txs/*
-db/txs
-db/testnet/txs/*
-db/testnet/txs
-db/blocks/*
-db/blocks
-db/testnet/blocks/*
-db/testnet/blocks
-db/*
+db/
 db-test/
+testnet-db/
+db.bkp/
 
 README.html
 public
diff --git a/api/config/default.yml b/api/config/default.yml
index 1ba65a51..7d5332ac 100644
--- a/api/config/default.yml
+++ b/api/config/default.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,15 @@ BitcoreHTTP:
   port: 8080
   logging: true
   BitcoreNode:
+    LevelUp: ./testnet-db
+    network: testnet
     NetworkMonitor:
-      network: livenet
       host: localhost
-      port: 8333
+      port: 18333
+  Reporter: none # none, simple, matrix
+  RPC:
+    user: user
+    pass: password
+    protocol: http
+    host: 127.0.0.1
+    port: 18332
diff --git a/api/config/livenet.yml b/api/config/livenet.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ba65a51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/config/livenet.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+BitcoreHTTP:
+  port: 8080
+  logging: true
+  BitcoreNode:
+    NetworkMonitor:
+      network: livenet
+      host: localhost
+      port: 8333
diff --git a/api/config/testnet.yml b/api/config/testnet.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ba65a51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/config/testnet.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+BitcoreHTTP:
+  port: 8080
+  logging: true
+  BitcoreNode:
+    NetworkMonitor:
+      network: livenet
+      host: localhost
+      port: 8333
diff --git a/api/lib/http.js b/api/lib/http.js
index 686acdb6..e56b61f8 100644
--- a/api/lib/http.js
+++ b/api/lib/http.js
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ BitcoreHTTP.prototype.onListening = function() {
 
 
 BitcoreHTTP.prototype.start = function() {
+  this.node.start();
   this.server.listen(this.port);
 };
 
diff --git a/api/test/http.js b/api/test/http.js
index 2bcac25c..2b70bf48 100644
--- a/api/test/http.js
+++ b/api/test/http.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 var chai = require('chai');
 var should = chai.should();
+var sinon = require('sinon');
 
 var EventEmitter = require('eventemitter2').EventEmitter2;
 
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ describe('BitcoreHTTP', function() {
   var nodeMock;
   beforeEach(function() {
     nodeMock = new EventEmitter();
+    nodeMock.start = sinon.spy();
   });
   describe('instantiates', function() {
     it('from constructor', function() {
diff --git a/api/test/v1/node.js b/api/test/v1/node.js
index 16a5a375..ff45b99c 100644
--- a/api/test/v1/node.js
+++ b/api/test/v1/node.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe('BitcoreHTTP v1 node routes', function() {
     nodeMock = new EventEmitter();
     nodeMock.status = {
       sync: 0.75,
-      peer_count: 8,
+      peerCount: 8,
       version: 'test'
     };
     nodeMock.getStatus = function() {
diff --git a/config/default.yml b/config/default.yml
index 48ddb954..564f1073 100644
--- a/config/default.yml
+++ b/config/default.yml
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ BitcoreNode:
     host: localhost
     port: 8333
 Reporter: none # none, simple, matrix
-BitcoreHTTP:
-  host: localhost
-  port: 8080
 RPC:
   user: user
   pass: password
diff --git a/config/livenet.yml b/config/livenet.yml
index 48ddb954..564f1073 100644
--- a/config/livenet.yml
+++ b/config/livenet.yml
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ BitcoreNode:
     host: localhost
     port: 8333
 Reporter: none # none, simple, matrix
-BitcoreHTTP:
-  host: localhost
-  port: 8080
 RPC:
   user: user
   pass: password
diff --git a/config/testnet.yml b/config/testnet.yml
index 313e99cd..29a08192 100644
--- a/config/testnet.yml
+++ b/config/testnet.yml
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ BitcoreNode:
     host: localhost
     port: 18333
 Reporter: none # none, simple, matrix
-BitcoreHTTP:
-  host: localhost
-  port: 8080
 RPC:
   user: user
   pass: password
diff --git a/lib/blockchain.js b/lib/blockchain.js
index 4de9ae4d..2ba21d43 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ BlockChain.prototype.getBlockLocator = function() {
   $.checkState(!_.isUndefined(this.height[this.tip]));
 
   var result = [];
-  var currentHeight = this.height[this.tip];
+  var currentHeight = this.getCurrentHeight();
   var exponentialBackOff = 1;
   for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
     if (currentHeight >= 0) {
@@ -174,4 +174,8 @@ BlockChain.prototype.getBlockLocator = function() {
   return result;
 };
 
+BlockChain.prototype.getCurrentHeight = function() {
+  return this.height[this.tip];
+};
+
 module.exports = BlockChain;
diff --git a/lib/networkmonitor.js b/lib/networkmonitor.js
index 6d792b9c..fa2bff76 100644
--- a/lib/networkmonitor.js
+++ b/lib/networkmonitor.js
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ NetworkMonitor.prototype.setupPeer = function(peer) {
   var self = this;
 
   peer.on('ready', function() {
-    self.emit('ready');
+    self.emit('ready', self.maxHeight);
+  });
+  peer.on('version', function(m) {
+    self.maxHeight = m.startHeight;
   });
   peer.on('inv', function(m) {
     self.emit('inv', m.inventory);
@@ -73,7 +76,6 @@ NetworkMonitor.prototype.requestBlocks = function(locator) {
     _.isString(locator[0]), 'start must be a block hash string array');
   this.peer.sendMessage(this.messages.GetBlocks({
     starts: locator,
-    //stop: '000000002c05cc2e78923c34df87fd108b22221ac6076c18f3ade378a4d915e9' // TODO: remove this!!!
   }));
 };
 
@@ -87,6 +89,11 @@ NetworkMonitor.prototype.stop = function(reason) {
   console.log('Stopping network, reason:', reason);
 };
 
+NetworkMonitor.prototype.getConnectedPeers = function() {
+  // TODO: update when using Pool instead of Peer
+  return this.peer.status === Peer.STATUS.READY ? 1 : 0;
+};
+
 NetworkMonitor.prototype.abort = function(reason) {
   this.peer.disconnect();
   if (reason) {
diff --git a/lib/node.js b/lib/node.js
index f692c875..14ae583d 100644
--- a/lib/node.js
+++ b/lib/node.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 var util = require('util');
 var EventEmitter = require('eventemitter2').EventEmitter2;
+var pjson = require('../package.json');
 
 var bitcore = require('bitcore');
 var _ = bitcore.deps._;
@@ -36,7 +37,6 @@ var BitcoreNode = function(bus, networkMonitor, blockService, transactionService
   this.blockService = blockService;
 
   this.blockCache = {};
-  this.inventory = {}; // blockHash -> bool (has data)
   this.initialize();
 };
 util.inherits(BitcoreNode, EventEmitter);
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ BitcoreNode.prototype.initialize = function() {
   var prevHeight = 0;
   var statTimer = 5 * 1000;
   setInterval(function() {
-    console.log(process.memoryUsage().heapTotal / 1024 / 1024, 'mb used');
+    console.log('MB used:', process.memoryUsage().heapTotal / 1024 / 1024,
+      100 * self.getSyncProgress() + '% synced');
     if (!self.blockchain) {
       // not ready yet
       console.log('No blockchain yet');
@@ -100,9 +101,8 @@ BitcoreNode.prototype.initialize = function() {
 
     var prevHash = bitcore.util.buffer.reverse(block.header.prevHash).toString('hex');
     self.blockCache[block.hash] = block;
-    self.inventory[block.hash] = true;
     if (!self.blockchain.hasData(prevHash)) {
-      self.requestFromTip();
+      self._requestFromTip();
       return;
     }
     var blockchainChanges = self.blockchain.proposeNewBlock(block);
@@ -111,8 +111,6 @@ BitcoreNode.prototype.initialize = function() {
     block.height = self.blockchain.height[block.id];
     block.work = self.blockchain.work[block.id];
 
-    //console.log('block', block.id, block.height);
-
     return Promise.each(blockchainChanges.unconfirmed, function(hash) {
         return self.blockService.unconfirm(self.blockCache[hash]);
       })
@@ -128,13 +126,6 @@ BitcoreNode.prototype.initialize = function() {
           delete self.blockCache[deleteHash];
         }
       })
-      .then(function() {
-        // TODO: include this
-        if (false && _.size(self.inventory) && _.all(_.values(self.inventory))) {
-          self.inventory = {};
-          self.requestFromTip();
-        }
-      })
       .catch(function(error) {
         self.stop(error);
       });
@@ -155,9 +146,7 @@ BitcoreNode.prototype.start = function() {
   var self = this;
   var genesis = bitcore.Block.fromBuffer(genesisBlocks[bitcore.Networks.defaultNetwork.name]);
 
-  console.log('getting blockchain');
   this.blockService.getBlockchain().then(function(blockchain) {
-    console.log('got blockchain', !!blockchain);
     if (!blockchain) {
       self.blockchain = new BlockChain();
       self.bus.process(genesis);
@@ -173,7 +162,20 @@ BitcoreNode.prototype.stop = function(reason) {
   this.networkMonitor.abort(reason);
 };
 
-BitcoreNode.prototype.requestFromTip = function() {
+BitcoreNode.prototype.getStatus = function() {
+  return Promise.resolve({
+    sync: this.getSyncProgress(),
+    peerCount: this.networkMonitor.getConnectedPeers(),
+    version: pjson.version,
+  });
+};
+
+BitcoreNode.prototype.getSyncProgress = function() {
+  return !_.isUndefined(this.reportedMaxHeight) ?
+    (this.blockchain.getCurrentHeight() / this.reportedMaxHeight) : 0;
+};
+
+BitcoreNode.prototype._requestFromTip = function() {
   var locator = this.blockchain.getBlockLocator();
   //console.log('requesting blocks, locator size:', locator.length);
   this.networkMonitor.requestBlocks(locator);
@@ -181,8 +183,9 @@ BitcoreNode.prototype.requestFromTip = function() {
 
 BitcoreNode.prototype.sync = function() {
   var self = this;
-  this.networkMonitor.on('ready', function() {
-    self.requestFromTip();
+  this.networkMonitor.on('ready', function(reportedMaxHeight) {
+    self.reportedMaxHeight = reportedMaxHeight;
+    self._requestFromTip();
   });
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/services/block.js b/lib/services/block.js
index ea57238e..d6b966e4 100644
--- a/lib/services/block.js
+++ b/lib/services/block.js
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ BlockService.prototype.getBlockchain = function() {
   return self._getLatestHash()
     .then(function(tip) {
       if (!tip) {
-        console.log('No tip found');
+        console.log('No tip found, syncing blockchain from genesis block');
         return null;
       }
       console.log('Tip is', tip);