diff --git a/side-node/src/main.rs b/side-node/src/main.rs
index e6bb301..bcecb9f 100644
--- a/side-node/src/main.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/main.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use bft_json_crdt::json_crdt::BaseCrdt;
 use cli::{parse_args, Commands};
+use fastcrypto::ed25519::Ed25519KeyPair;
 use list_transaction_crdt::TransactionList;
 use node::SideNode;
 use websocket::WebSocketClient;
@@ -25,8 +26,8 @@ async fn main() {
             let _ = init::init(utils::home(name), config);
         }
         Some(Commands::Run { name }) => {
-            let (crdt, websocket_client) = setup(name);
-            let side_node = &mut SideNode::new(websocket_client, crdt);
+            let (crdt, websocket_client, keys) = setup(name);
+            let side_node = &mut SideNode::new(websocket_client, crdt, keys);
             side_node.start().await;
         }
         None => println!("No command provided. Exiting. See --help for more information."),
@@ -34,11 +35,11 @@ async fn main() {
 }
 
 /// Wire everything up outside the application so we can test more easily later
-fn setup(name: &String) -> (BaseCrdt<TransactionList>, WebSocketClient) {
+fn setup(name: &String) -> (BaseCrdt<TransactionList>, WebSocketClient, Ed25519KeyPair) {
     let side_dir = utils::home(name);
     let keys = keys::load_from_file(side_dir);
     let websocket_client = WebSocketClient::new();
     let crdt = BaseCrdt::<TransactionList>::new(&keys);
 
-    (crdt, websocket_client)
+    (crdt, websocket_client, keys)
 }
diff --git a/side-node/src/node.rs b/side-node/src/node.rs
index f624d79..cbe3e08 100644
--- a/side-node/src/node.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/node.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,23 @@
 use bft_json_crdt::json_crdt::BaseCrdt;
+use fastcrypto::ed25519::Ed25519KeyPair;
 
 use crate::{list_transaction_crdt::TransactionList, websocket::WebSocketClient};
 
 pub(crate) struct SideNode {
     crdt: BaseCrdt<TransactionList>,
+    keys: fastcrypto::ed25519::Ed25519KeyPair,
     websocket_client: WebSocketClient,
 }
 
 impl SideNode {
-    pub(crate) fn new(websocket_client: WebSocketClient, crdt: BaseCrdt<TransactionList>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn new(
+        websocket_client: WebSocketClient,
+        crdt: BaseCrdt<TransactionList>,
+        keys: Ed25519KeyPair,
+    ) -> Self {
         Self {
             crdt,
+            keys,
             websocket_client,
         }
     }
@@ -18,4 +25,25 @@ impl SideNode {
     pub(crate) async fn start(&mut self) {
         self.websocket_client.start().await;
     }
+
+    fn add_transaction_locally(
+        &mut self,
+        transaction: serde_json::Value,
+    ) -> bft_json_crdt::json_crdt::SignedOp {
+        // let last: &Op<Transaction>;
+        let last = self
+            .crdt
+            .doc
+            .list
+            .ops
+            .last()
+            .expect("couldn't find last op");
+        let signed_op = self
+            .crdt
+            .doc
+            .list
+            .insert(last.id, transaction)
+            .sign(&self.keys);
+        signed_op
+    }
 }
diff --git a/side-node/src/websocket/mod.rs b/side-node/src/websocket.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from side-node/src/websocket/mod.rs
rename to side-node/src/websocket.rs