diff --git a/src/accountant.rs b/src/accountant.rs
index c3a5100fdc..a531ff005e 100644
--- a/src/accountant.rs
+++ b/src/accountant.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 //! event log to record transactions. Its users can deposit funds and
 //! transfer funds to other users.
 
-use log::Sha256Hash;
+use log::{Entry, Sha256Hash};
 use event::{get_pubkey, sign_transaction_data, verify_event, Event, PublicKey, Signature};
 use genesis::Genesis;
 use historian::{reserve_signature, Historian};
@@ -28,8 +28,17 @@ pub struct Accountant {
 }
 
 impl Accountant {
-    pub fn new(gen: &Genesis, ms_per_tick: Option<u64>) -> Self {
-        let start_hash = gen.get_seed();
+    pub fn new_from_entries<I>(entries: I, ms_per_tick: Option<u64>) -> Self
+    where
+        I: IntoIterator<Item = Entry<u64>>,
+    {
+        let mut entries = entries.into_iter();
+
+        // The first item in the log is required to be an entry with zero num_hashes,
+        // which implies its id can be used as the log's seed.
+        let entry0 = entries.next().unwrap();
+        let start_hash = entry0.id;
+
         let hist = Historian::<u64>::new(&start_hash, ms_per_tick);
         let mut acc = Accountant {
             historian: hist,
@@ -37,12 +46,23 @@ impl Accountant {
             first_id: start_hash,
             last_id: start_hash,
         };
-        for (i, event) in gen.create_events().iter().enumerate() {
-            acc.process_verified_event(event, i < 2).unwrap();
+
+        // The second item in the log is a special transaction where the to and from
+        // fields are the same. That entry should be treated as a deposit, not a
+        // transfer to oneself.
+        let entry1 = entries.next().unwrap();
+        acc.process_verified_event(&entry1.event, true).unwrap();
+
+        for entry in entries {
+            acc.process_verified_event(&entry.event, false).unwrap();
         }
         acc
     }
 
+    pub fn new(gen: &Genesis, ms_per_tick: Option<u64>) -> Self {
+        Self::new_from_entries(gen.create_entries(), ms_per_tick)
+    }
+
     pub fn sync(self: &mut Self) -> Sha256Hash {
         while let Ok(entry) = self.historian.receiver.try_recv() {
             self.last_id = entry.id;
@@ -66,7 +86,6 @@ impl Accountant {
         }
 
         self.process_verified_event(&event, false)?;
-
         if let Err(SendError(_)) = self.historian.sender.send(event) {
             return Err(AccountingError::SendError);
         }
diff --git a/src/accountant_skel.rs b/src/accountant_skel.rs
index 1dd95c8dc6..4666e97edf 100644
--- a/src/accountant_skel.rs
+++ b/src/accountant_skel.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ pub enum Request {
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
 pub enum Response {
-    Balance { key: PublicKey, val: u64 },
+    Balance { key: PublicKey, val: Option<u64> },
     Entries { entries: Vec<Entry<u64>> },
     Id { id: Sha256Hash, is_last: bool },
 }
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ impl AccountantSkel {
                     sig,
                 };
                 if let Err(err) = self.acc.process_event(event) {
-                    println!("Transfer error: {:?}", err);
+                    eprintln!("Transfer error: {:?}", err);
                 }
                 None
             }
             Request::GetBalance { key } => {
-                let val = self.acc.get_balance(&key).unwrap();
+                let val = self.acc.get_balance(&key);
                 Some(Response::Balance { key, val })
             }
             Request::GetEntries { .. } => Some(Response::Entries { entries: vec![] }),
diff --git a/src/accountant_stub.rs b/src/accountant_stub.rs
index 15615275c7..8016620a97 100644
--- a/src/accountant_stub.rs
+++ b/src/accountant_stub.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ impl AccountantStub {
             .map(|_| sig)
     }
 
-    pub fn get_balance(&self, pubkey: &PublicKey) -> io::Result<u64> {
+    pub fn get_balance(&self, pubkey: &PublicKey) -> io::Result<Option<u64>> {
         let req = Request::GetBalance { key: *pubkey };
         let data = serialize(&req).expect("serialize GetBalance");
         self.socket.send_to(&data, &self.addr)?;
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ impl AccountantStub {
             assert_eq!(key, *pubkey);
             return Ok(val);
         }
-        Ok(0)
+        Ok(None)
     }
 
     fn get_id(&self, is_last: bool) -> io::Result<Sha256Hash> {
@@ -147,6 +147,6 @@ mod tests {
         let sig = acc.transfer(500, &alice.get_keypair(), bob_pubkey, &last_id)
             .unwrap();
         acc.wait_on_signature(&sig).unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(acc.get_balance(&bob_pubkey).unwrap(), 1_500);
+        assert_eq!(acc.get_balance(&bob_pubkey).unwrap().unwrap(), 1_500);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/bin/client-demo.rs b/src/bin/client-demo.rs
index e255419807..b54331a4c4 100644
--- a/src/bin/client-demo.rs
+++ b/src/bin/client-demo.rs
@@ -1,36 +1,28 @@
-//extern crate serde_json;
+extern crate serde_json;
 extern crate silk;
 
 use silk::accountant_stub::AccountantStub;
-use silk::accountant_skel::AccountantSkel;
-use silk::accountant::Accountant;
 use silk::event::{generate_keypair, get_pubkey, sign_transaction_data, verify_event, Event};
 use silk::genesis::Genesis;
 use std::time::Instant;
 use std::net::UdpSocket;
-use std::thread::{sleep, spawn};
-use std::time::Duration;
-//use std::io::stdin;
+use std::io::stdin;
 
 fn main() {
     let addr = "127.0.0.1:8000";
     let send_addr = "127.0.0.1:8001";
 
-    let txs = 200;
-
-    let gen = Genesis::new(txs, vec![]);
-    let alice_keypair = generate_keypair();
-    //let gen: Genesis = serde_json::from_reader(stdin()).unwrap();
-    //let alice_keypair = gen.get_keypair();
-
-    let acc = Accountant::new(&gen, None);
-    spawn(move || AccountantSkel::new(acc).serve(addr).unwrap());
-    sleep(Duration::from_millis(30));
+    let gen: Genesis = serde_json::from_reader(stdin()).unwrap();
+    let alice_keypair = gen.get_keypair();
+    let alice_pubkey = gen.get_pubkey();
 
     let socket = UdpSocket::bind(send_addr).unwrap();
     let mut acc = AccountantStub::new(addr, socket);
     let last_id = acc.get_last_id().unwrap();
-    let alice_pubkey = get_pubkey(&alice_keypair);
+
+    let txs = acc.get_balance(&alice_pubkey).unwrap().unwrap();
+    println!("Alice's Initial Balance {}", txs);
+
     let one = 1;
     println!("Signing transactions...");
     let now = Instant::now();
@@ -89,7 +81,7 @@ fn main() {
     let ns = duration.as_secs() * 1_000_000_000 + duration.subsec_nanos() as u64;
     let tps = (txs * 1_000_000_000) as f64 / ns as f64;
     println!("Done. {} tps!", tps);
-    let val = acc.get_balance(&alice_pubkey).unwrap();
+    let val = acc.get_balance(&alice_pubkey).unwrap().unwrap();
     println!("Alice's Final Balance {}", val);
     assert_eq!(val, 0);
 }
diff --git a/src/bin/genesis-block.rs b/src/bin/genesis-block.rs
index a64c4f9cdd..ce3e8e5898 100644
--- a/src/bin/genesis-block.rs
+++ b/src/bin/genesis-block.rs
@@ -12,13 +12,7 @@ fn main() {
     let gen: Genesis = serde_json::from_reader(stdin()).unwrap();
     let entries = gen.create_entries();
     verify_slice_u64(&entries, &entries[0].id);
-    println!("[");
-    let len = entries.len();
-    for (i, x) in entries.iter().enumerate() {
-        let s = serde_json::to_string(&x).unwrap();
-
-        let terminator = if i + 1 == len { "" } else { "," };
-        println!("    {}{}", s, terminator);
+    for x in entries {
+        println!("{}", serde_json::to_string(&x).unwrap());
     }
-    println!("]");
 }
diff --git a/src/bin/genesis-file-demo.rs b/src/bin/genesis-file-demo.rs
index 65f28edaf2..26a47c5e8b 100644
--- a/src/bin/genesis-file-demo.rs
+++ b/src/bin/genesis-file-demo.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@ fn main() {
         pubkey: get_pubkey(&generate_keypair()),
     };
     let creators = vec![alice, bob];
-    let gen = Genesis::new(300, creators);
+    let gen = Genesis::new(500, creators);
     println!("{}", serde_json::to_string(&gen).unwrap());
 }
diff --git a/src/bin/testnode.rs b/src/bin/testnode.rs
index 141fffb904..22a73e6eb4 100644
--- a/src/bin/testnode.rs
+++ b/src/bin/testnode.rs
@@ -3,14 +3,17 @@ extern crate silk;
 
 use silk::accountant_skel::AccountantSkel;
 use silk::accountant::Accountant;
-use silk::genesis::Genesis;
-use std::io::stdin;
+use std::io::{self, BufRead};
 
 fn main() {
     let addr = "127.0.0.1:8000";
-    let gen: Genesis = serde_json::from_reader(stdin()).unwrap();
-    let acc = Accountant::new(&gen, Some(1000));
+    let stdin = io::stdin();
+    let entries = stdin
+        .lock()
+        .lines()
+        .map(|line| serde_json::from_str(&line.unwrap()).unwrap());
+    let acc = Accountant::new_from_entries(entries, Some(1000));
     let mut skel = AccountantSkel::new(acc);
-    println!("Listening on {}", addr);
+    eprintln!("Listening on {}", addr);
     skel.serve(addr).unwrap();
 }
diff --git a/src/genesis.rs b/src/genesis.rs
index bd009504af..df331532d2 100644
--- a/src/genesis.rs
+++ b/src/genesis.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ impl Genesis {
     pub fn new(tokens: u64, creators: Vec<Creator>) -> Self {
         let rnd = SystemRandom::new();
         let pkcs8 = Ed25519KeyPair::generate_pkcs8(&rnd).unwrap().to_vec();
+        println!("{:?}", pkcs8);
         Genesis {
             pkcs8,
             tokens,
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ impl Genesis {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use log::verify_slice_u64;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_create_events() {
@@ -108,4 +110,16 @@ mod tests {
             3
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_verify_entries() {
+        let entries = Genesis::new(100, vec![]).create_entries();
+        assert!(verify_slice_u64(&entries, &entries[0].id));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_verify_entries_with_transactions() {
+        let entries = Genesis::new(100, vec![Creator::new(42)]).create_entries();
+        assert!(verify_slice_u64(&entries, &entries[0].id));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 78dbeadbcd..bf65fb2d54 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ extern crate ring;
 extern crate serde;
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate serde_derive;
+extern crate serde_json;
 extern crate sha2;
 extern crate untrusted;
diff --git a/src/logger.rs b/src/logger.rs
index 46218d93a1..130f746602 100644
--- a/src/logger.rs
+++ b/src/logger.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use log::{create_entry_mut, Entry, Sha256Hash};
 use event::Event;
 use serde::Serialize;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
+use serde_json;
 
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum ExitReason {
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ impl<T: Serialize + Clone + Debug> Logger<T> {
 
     pub fn log_event(&mut self, event: Event<T>) -> Result<Entry<T>, ExitReason> {
         let entry = create_entry_mut(&mut self.last_id, &mut self.num_hashes, event);
+        println!("{}", serde_json::to_string(&entry).unwrap());
         Ok(entry)
     }
 
@@ -78,8 +80,6 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use log::*;
     use event::*;
-    use genesis::*;
-    use std::sync::mpsc::sync_channel;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_bad_event_signature() {
@@ -94,28 +94,4 @@ mod tests {
         );
         assert!(!verify_event(&event0));
     }
-
-    fn run_genesis(gen: Genesis) -> Vec<Entry<u64>> {
-        let (sender, event_receiver) = sync_channel(100);
-        let (entry_sender, receiver) = sync_channel(100);
-        let mut logger = Logger::new(event_receiver, entry_sender, gen.get_seed());
-        for tx in gen.create_events() {
-            sender.send(tx).unwrap();
-        }
-        logger.process_events(Instant::now(), None).unwrap();
-        drop(logger.sender);
-        receiver.iter().collect::<Vec<_>>()
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn test_genesis_no_creators() {
-        let entries = run_genesis(Genesis::new(100, vec![]));
-        assert!(verify_slice_u64(&entries, &entries[0].id));
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn test_genesis() {
-        let entries = run_genesis(Genesis::new(100, vec![Creator::new(42)]));
-        assert!(verify_slice_u64(&entries, &entries[0].id));
-    }
 }