diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 4fba59b..52c283d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2074,6 +2074,10 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "ezsockets",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
+ "sha256",
+ "side-node",
  "tokio",
  "tracing",
  "tracing-subscriber",
diff --git a/crates/bft-json-crdt/src/json_crdt.rs b/crates/bft-json-crdt/src/json_crdt.rs
index d8cd558..b2cb62c 100644
--- a/crates/bft-json-crdt/src/json_crdt.rs
+++ b/crates/bft-json-crdt/src/json_crdt.rs
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ impl<T: CrdtNode + DebugView> BaseCrdt<T> {
     /// Apply a signed operation to this BaseCRDT, verifying integrity and routing to the right
     /// nested CRDT
     pub fn apply(&mut self, op: SignedOp) -> OpState {
-        self.log_try_apply(&op);
+        // self.log_try_apply(&op);
 
         #[cfg(feature = "bft")]
         if !op.is_valid_digest() {
@@ -232,9 +232,9 @@ impl<T: CrdtNode + DebugView> BaseCrdt<T> {
         }
 
         // apply
-        self.log_actually_apply(&op);
+        // self.log_actually_apply(&op);
         let status = self.doc.apply(op.inner);
-        self.debug_view();
+        // self.debug_view();
         self.received.insert(op_id);
 
         // apply all of its causal dependents if there are any
diff --git a/side-node/src/lib.rs b/side-node/src/lib.rs
index 713c800..cb199a4 100644
--- a/side-node/src/lib.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/lib.rs
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ use websocket::WebSocketClient;
 pub(crate) mod cli;
 pub mod crdt;
 pub(crate) mod init;
-pub(crate) mod keys;
-pub(crate) mod node;
+pub mod keys;
+pub mod node;
 pub(crate) mod stdin;
 pub mod utils;
-pub(crate) mod websocket;
+pub mod websocket;
 
 #[tokio::main]
 pub async fn run() {
diff --git a/side-node/src/node.rs b/side-node/src/node.rs
index c69e9c1..1326d06 100644
--- a/side-node/src/node.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/node.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 
 use crate::{crdt::TransactionList, utils, websocket::WebSocketClient};
 
-pub(crate) struct SideNode {
+pub struct SideNode {
     crdt: BaseCrdt<TransactionList>,
     keys: fastcrypto::ed25519::Ed25519KeyPair,
     incoming_receiver: mpsc::Receiver<SignedOp>,
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ pub(crate) struct SideNode {
 }
 
 impl SideNode {
-    pub(crate) fn new(
+    pub fn new(
         crdt: BaseCrdt<TransactionList>,
         keys: Ed25519KeyPair,
         incoming_receiver: mpsc::Receiver<SignedOp>,
@@ -39,12 +39,14 @@ impl SideNode {
                     let transaction = utils::fake_transaction_json(stdin);
                     let json = serde_json::to_value(transaction).unwrap();
                     let signed_op = self.add_transaction_local(json);
+                    println!("STDIN: {}", shappy(signed_op.clone()));
                     self.send_to_network(signed_op).await;
                 }
                 Err(_) => {} // ignore empty channel errors in this PoC
             }
             match self.incoming_receiver.try_recv() {
                 Ok(incoming) => {
+                    println!("INCOMING");
                     self.handle_incoming(incoming);
                 }
                 Err(_) => {} // ignore empty channel errors in this PoC
@@ -57,12 +59,13 @@ impl SideNode {
         self.handle.call(to_send).unwrap();
     }
 
-    fn handle_incoming(&mut self, incoming: SignedOp) {
+    pub fn handle_incoming(&mut self, incoming: SignedOp) {
+        println!("handle_incoming: {}", shappy(incoming.clone()));
         self.crdt.apply(incoming);
-        self.trace_crdt();
+        // self.trace_crdt();
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn add_transaction_local(
+    pub fn add_transaction_local(
         &mut self,
         transaction: serde_json::Value,
     ) -> bft_json_crdt::json_crdt::SignedOp {
@@ -79,12 +82,21 @@ impl SideNode {
             .list
             .insert(last.id, transaction)
             .sign(&self.keys);
-        self.trace_crdt();
+        // self.trace_crdt();
         signed_op
     }
 
     /// Print the current state of the CRDT, can be used to debug
-    pub(crate) fn trace_crdt(&self) {
+    pub fn trace_crdt(&self) {
         println!("{:?}", self.crdt.doc.view_sha());
     }
+
+    pub fn current_sha(&self) -> String {
+        self.crdt.doc.view_sha()
+    }
+}
+
+fn shappy(op: SignedOp) -> String {
+    let b = serde_json::to_string(&op).unwrap().into_bytes();
+    sha256::digest(b).to_string()
 }
diff --git a/side-node/src/websocket.rs b/side-node/src/websocket.rs
index f7d5caa..46db012 100644
--- a/side-node/src/websocket.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/websocket.rs
@@ -3,17 +3,16 @@ use bft_json_crdt::json_crdt::SignedOp;
 use ezsockets::ClientConfig;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 
-pub(crate) struct WebSocketClient {
+pub struct WebSocketClient {
     incoming_sender: mpsc::Sender<SignedOp>,
     handle: ezsockets::Client<WebSocketClient>,
 }
 
 impl WebSocketClient {
     /// Start the websocket client
-    pub(crate) async fn new(
+    pub async fn new(
         incoming_sender: mpsc::Sender<SignedOp>,
     ) -> ezsockets::Client<WebSocketClient> {
-        tracing_subscriber::fmt::init();
         let config = ClientConfig::new("ws://localhost:8080/websocket");
         let (handle, future) = ezsockets::connect(
             |client| WebSocketClient {
@@ -40,7 +39,6 @@ impl ezsockets::ClientExt for WebSocketClient {
     /// When we receive a text message, apply the crdt operation contained in it to our
     /// local crdt.
     async fn on_text(&mut self, text: String) -> Result<(), ezsockets::Error> {
-        tracing::info!("received text: {text:?}");
         let incoming: bft_json_crdt::json_crdt::SignedOp = serde_json::from_str(&text).unwrap();
         self.incoming_sender.send(incoming).await?;
         Ok(())
@@ -55,7 +53,6 @@ impl ezsockets::ClientExt for WebSocketClient {
     /// Call this with the `Call` type to send application data to the websocket client
     /// (and from there, to the server).
     async fn on_call(&mut self, call: Self::Call) -> Result<(), ezsockets::Error> {
-        tracing::info!("sending signed op: {call:?}");
         self.handle.text(call)?;
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/side-node/tests/side_node.rs b/side-node/tests/side_node.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1757efd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/side-node/tests/side_node.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+use bft_json_crdt::{
+    json_crdt::{BaseCrdt, SignedOp},
+    keypair::make_keypair,
+};
+use side_node::{crdt::TransactionList, node::SideNode, utils, WebSocketClient};
+use tokio::sync::mpsc;
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_distribute_via_websockets() {
+    let mut node1 = setup("alice").await;
+    let mut node2 = setup("bob").await;
+
+    assert_eq!(node1.current_sha(), node2.current_sha());
+
+    let transaction = utils::fake_transaction_json("from_alice".to_string());
+    let signed_op = node1.add_transaction_local(transaction);
+    node2.handle_incoming(signed_op);
+
+    assert_eq!(node1.current_sha(), node2.current_sha());
+
+    let transaction = utils::fake_transaction_json("from_alice2".to_string());
+    let signed_op = node1.add_transaction_local(transaction);
+    node2.handle_incoming(signed_op);
+
+    assert_eq!(node1.current_sha(), node2.current_sha());
+
+    let transaction = utils::fake_transaction_json("from_alice3".to_string());
+    let signed_op = node1.add_transaction_local(transaction);
+    node2.handle_incoming(signed_op);
+
+    assert_eq!(node1.current_sha(), node2.current_sha());
+}
+
+/// Wire everything up, ignoring things we are not using in the test
+async fn setup(_: &str) -> SideNode {
+    // First, load up the keys and create a bft-crdt
+    let keys = make_keypair();
+    let crdt = BaseCrdt::<TransactionList>::new(&keys);
+
+    // Channels for internal communication, and a tokio task for stdin input
+    let (incoming_sender, incoming_receiver) = mpsc::channel::<SignedOp>(32);
+    let (_, stdin_receiver) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+
+    // Finally, create the node and return it
+    let handle = WebSocketClient::new(incoming_sender).await;
+    let node = SideNode::new(crdt, keys, incoming_receiver, stdin_receiver, handle);
+    node
+}
diff --git a/side-watcher/Cargo.toml b/side-watcher/Cargo.toml
index c4ce9d8..1c46769 100644
--- a/side-watcher/Cargo.toml
+++ b/side-watcher/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ edition = "2021"
 [dependencies]
 async-trait = "0.1.52"
 ezsockets = { version = "*", features = ["tungstenite"] }
+serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
+serde_json = "1.0.117"
+sha256 = "1.5.0"
+side-node = { path = "../side-node" }
 tokio = { version = "1.17.0", features = ["full"] }
 tracing = "0.1.32"
 tracing-subscriber = "0.3.9"
diff --git a/side-watcher/src/main.rs b/side-watcher/src/main.rs
index 5973b1a..01a711b 100644
--- a/side-watcher/src/main.rs
+++ b/side-watcher/src/main.rs
@@ -85,12 +85,13 @@ impl ezsockets::ServerExt for ChatServer {
                     .unzip();
 
                 tracing::info!(
-                    "sending {text} to [{sessions}] at `{room}`",
+                    "sending {hash} to [{sessions}] at `{room}`",
                     sessions = ids
                         .iter()
                         .map(|id| id.to_string())
                         .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-                        .join(",")
+                        .join(","),
+                    hash = shappy(text.clone())
                 );
                 for session in sessions {
                     session.text(text.clone()).unwrap();
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ impl ezsockets::SessionExt for SessionActor {
     }
 
     async fn on_text(&mut self, text: String) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        tracing::info!("received: {text}");
+        tracing::info!("received: {}", shappy(text.clone()));
         if text.starts_with('/') {
             let mut args = text.split_whitespace();
             let command = args.next().unwrap();
@@ -183,6 +184,11 @@ impl ezsockets::SessionExt for SessionActor {
     }
 }
 
+fn shappy(text: String) -> String {
+    let b = text.into_bytes();
+    sha256::digest(b).to_string()
+}
+
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() {
     tracing_subscriber::fmt::init();