diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index 8304d1a6..5fd43c6a 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/node/engine/chainservice"
 	"github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/node/engine/store"
 	"github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/paymentsmanager"
+	"github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/rpc/transport"
+	"github.com/tidwall/buntdb"
+	"golang.org/x/exp/slog"
 
 	"github.com/cerc-io/ipld-eth-server/v5/pkg/graphql"
 	srpc "github.com/cerc-io/ipld-eth-server/v5/pkg/rpc"
@@ -43,6 +47,8 @@ import (
 	v "github.com/cerc-io/ipld-eth-server/v5/version"
 	nitroNode "github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/node"
 	nitrop2pms "github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/node/engine/messageservice/p2p-message-service"
+	nitroRpc "github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/rpc"
+	nitroHttpTransport "github.com/statechannels/go-nitro/rpc/transport/http"
 )
 
 var ErrNoRpcEndpoints = errors.New("no rpc endpoints is available")
@@ -87,12 +93,12 @@ func serve() {
 	// TODO: Create required config for Nitro node
 	nitroNode, err := initializeNitroNode(serverConfig.Nitro)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		logWithCommand.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	pm, err := paymentsmanager.NewPaymentsManager(nitroNode)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		logWithCommand.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	pm.Start(wg)
@@ -107,6 +113,12 @@ func serve() {
 		"eth_getLogs":          big.NewInt(50),
 	}
 
+	rpcPort := 4005
+	nitroRpcServer, err := initializeNitroRpcServer(nitroNode, rpcPort)
+	if err != nil {
+		logWithCommand.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	if err := startServers(server, serverConfig, voucherValidator, queryRates); err != nil {
 		logWithCommand.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -135,6 +147,7 @@ func serve() {
 	}
 	server.Stop()
 	pm.Stop()
+	nitroRpcServer.Close()
 
 	wg.Wait()
 }
@@ -403,30 +416,14 @@ func initializeNitroNode(nitroConfig *s.NitroConfig) (*nitroNode.Node, error) {
 		CaAddress:       common.HexToAddress(caAddress),
 	}
 
-	storeOpts := store.StoreOpts{
-		PkBytes:            common.Hex2Bytes(pkString),
-		UseDurableStore:    useDurableStore,
-		DurableStoreFolder: durableStoreFolder,
-	}
-
-	peerSlice := []string{}
-
-	messageOpts := nitrop2pms.MessageOpts{
-		PkBytes:   common.Hex2Bytes(pkString),
-		TcpPort:   msgPort,
-		WsMsgPort: wsMsgPort,
-		BootPeers: peerSlice,
-		PublicIp:  publicIp,
-	}
-
-	ourStore, err := store.NewStore(storeOpts)
+	ourStore, err := store.NewStore(common.Hex2Bytes(pkString), useDurableStore, durableStoreFolder, buntdb.Config{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	log.Info("Initializing message service...", " tcp port=", messageOpts.TcpPort, " web socket port=", messageOpts.WsMsgPort)
-	messageOpts.SCAddr = *ourStore.GetAddress()
-	messageService := nitrop2pms.NewMessageService(messageOpts)
+	bootPeers := []string{}
+	log.Info("Initializing message service...", " tcp port=", msgPort, " web socket port=", wsMsgPort)
+	messageService := nitrop2pms.NewMessageService(publicIp, msgPort, wsMsgPort, *ourStore.GetAddress(), common.Hex2Bytes(pkString), bootPeers)
 
 	// Compare chainOpts.ChainStartBlock to lastBlockNum seen in store. The larger of the two
 	// gets passed as an argument when creating NewEthChainService
@@ -453,3 +450,22 @@ func initializeNitroNode(nitroConfig *s.NitroConfig) (*nitroNode.Node, error) {
 
 	return &node, nil
 }
+
+func initializeNitroRpcServer(node *nitroNode.Node, rpcPort int) (*nitroRpc.RpcServer, error) {
+	var transport transport.Responder
+	var err error
+
+	slog.Info("Initializing Nitro HTTP RPC transport...")
+	transport, err = nitroHttpTransport.NewHttpTransportAsServer(fmt.Sprint(rpcPort))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	rpcServer, err := nitroRpc.NewRpcServer(node, transport)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	slog.Info("Completed Nitro RPC server initialization")
+	return rpcServer, nil
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index c8d5e0f6..58f18af2 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.4.0
 	github.com/spf13/viper v1.11.0
 	github.com/statechannels/go-nitro v0.1.1
+	github.com/tidwall/buntdb v1.2.10
+	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230817173708-d852ddb80c63
 	gorm.io/driver/postgres v1.3.7
 	gorm.io/gorm v1.23.5
 )
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/gofrs/flock v0.8.1 // indirect
 	github.com/gogo/protobuf v1.3.2 // indirect
 	github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4 v4.5.0 // indirect
+	github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5 v5.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/golang/mock v1.6.0 // indirect
 	github.com/golang/protobuf v1.5.3 // indirect
 	github.com/golang/snappy v0.0.5-0.20220116011046-fa5810519dcb // indirect
@@ -232,7 +235,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/syndtr/goleveldb v1.0.1-0.20220614013038-64ee5596c38a // indirect
 	github.com/thoas/go-funk v0.9.3 // indirect
 	github.com/tidwall/btree v1.6.0 // indirect
-	github.com/tidwall/buntdb v1.2.10 // indirect
 	github.com/tidwall/gjson v1.14.4 // indirect
 	github.com/tidwall/grect v0.1.4 // indirect
 	github.com/tidwall/match v1.1.1 // indirect
@@ -263,7 +265,6 @@ require (
 	go.uber.org/zap v1.25.0 // indirect
 	go4.org v0.0.0-20230225012048-214862532bf5 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.12.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230817173708-d852ddb80c63 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/mod v0.12.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.14.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.3.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 397bf025..c512ac90 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -292,6 +292,8 @@ github.com/gogo/protobuf v1.3.2 h1:Ov1cvc58UF3b5XjBnZv7+opcTcQFZebYjWzi34vdm4Q=
 github.com/gogo/protobuf v1.3.2/go.mod h1:P1XiOD3dCwIKUDQYPy72D8LYyHL2YPYrpS2s69NZV8Q=
 github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4 v4.5.0 h1:7cYmW1XlMY7h7ii7UhUyChSgS5wUJEnm9uZVTGqOWzg=
 github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4 v4.5.0/go.mod h1:m21LjoU+eqJr34lmDMbreY2eSTRJ1cv77w39/MY0Ch0=
+github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5 v5.0.0 h1:1n1XNM9hk7O9mnQoNBGolZvzebBQ7p93ULHRc28XJUE=
+github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5 v5.0.0/go.mod h1:pqrtFR0X4osieyHYxtmOUWsAWrfe1Q5UVIyoH402zdk=
 github.com/golang-sql/civil v0.0.0-20190719163853-cb61b32ac6fe/go.mod h1:8vg3r2VgvsThLBIFL93Qb5yWzgyZWhEmBwUJWevAkK0=
 github.com/golang/glog v0.0.0-20160126235308-23def4e6c14b/go.mod h1:SBH7ygxi8pfUlaOkMMuAQtPIUF8ecWP5IEl/CR7VP2Q=
 github.com/golang/groupcache v0.0.0-20190702054246-869f871628b6/go.mod h1:cIg4eruTrX1D+g88fzRXU5OdNfaM+9IcxsU14FzY7Hc=