diff --git a/lighthouse/main.rs b/lighthouse/main.rs
index c90bcdaea..33edddd55 100644
--- a/lighthouse/main.rs
+++ b/lighthouse/main.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#![feature(test)]
+
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate slog;
 extern crate slog_term;
diff --git a/lighthouse/state/block/validation/benches.rs b/lighthouse/state/block/validation/benches.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c9ed1d4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lighthouse/state/block/validation/benches.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+/*
+ * Note: this is a copy of the ./tests.rs file that is rigged to give some fast and easy
+ * benchmarking.
+ *
+ * This file should be moved into a bench/ dir in the root and structured correctly.
+ */
+
+extern crate ssz;
+extern crate test;
+
+use self::test::Bencher;
+use self::ssz::{
+    SszStream,
+};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use super::{
+    validate_ssz_block,
+    BlockStatus,
+    ProposerMap,
+};
+use super::utils::types::{
+    Hash256,
+};
+use super::SszBlock;
+use super::super::Block;
+
+use super::tests::{
+    TestStore,
+    generate_attestations_for_slot,
+};
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct BenchmarkParams {
+    total_validators: usize,
+    cycle_length: u8,
+    shard_count: u16,
+    shards_per_slot: u16,
+    validators_per_shard: usize,
+}
+
+impl BenchmarkParams {
+    pub fn danny_wants() -> Self {
+        /*
+         * 10M Eth where each validator is 32 ETH
+         */
+        let total_validators: usize = 10_000_000 / 32;
+        /*
+         * 64 slots per cycle
+         */
+        let cycle_length: u8 = 64;
+        /*
+         * 1024 shards
+         */
+        let shard_count: u16 = 1024;
+        /*
+         * Number of shards per slot
+         */
+        let shards_per_slot: u16 = 1024 / u16::from(cycle_length);
+        /*
+         * Number of validators in each shard
+         */
+        let validators_per_shard: usize = total_validators / usize::from(shard_count);
+
+        Self {
+            total_validators,
+            cycle_length,
+            shard_count,
+            shards_per_slot,
+            validators_per_shard,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_block_validation(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    let stores = TestStore::new();
+
+    let params = BenchmarkParams::danny_wants();
+
+    println!("{:?}", params);
+
+    let cycle_length = params.cycle_length;
+    let shards_per_slot = params.shards_per_slot;
+    let validators_per_shard = params.validators_per_shard;
+
+    let present_slot = u64::from(cycle_length) * 10000;
+    let justified_slot = present_slot - u64::from(cycle_length);
+    let justified_block_hash = Hash256::from("justified_hash".as_bytes());
+    let shard_block_hash = Hash256::from("shard_hash".as_bytes());
+    let parent_hashes: Vec<Hash256> = (0..(cycle_length * 2))
+        .map(|i| Hash256::from(i as u64))
+        .collect();
+    let pow_chain_ref = Hash256::from("pow_chain".as_bytes());
+    let active_state_root = Hash256::from("active_state".as_bytes());
+    let crystallized_state_root = Hash256::from("cry_state".as_bytes());
+
+    stores.pow_chain.put_block_hash(pow_chain_ref.as_ref()).unwrap();
+    stores.block.put_block(justified_block_hash.as_ref(), &vec![42]).unwrap();
+
+
+    let block_slot = present_slot;
+    let validator_index: usize = 0;
+    let proposer_map = {
+        let mut proposer_map = ProposerMap::new();
+        proposer_map.insert(present_slot, validator_index);
+        proposer_map
+    };
+    let attestation_slot = block_slot - 1;
+    let (attester_map, attestations, _keypairs) =
+        generate_attestations_for_slot(
+            attestation_slot,
+            block_slot,
+            shards_per_slot,
+            validators_per_shard,
+            cycle_length,
+            &parent_hashes,
+            &shard_block_hash,
+            &justified_block_hash,
+            justified_slot,
+            &stores);
+
+    let block = Block {
+        parent_hash: Hash256::from("parent".as_bytes()),
+        slot_number: block_slot,
+        randao_reveal: Hash256::from("randao".as_bytes()),
+        attestations,
+        pow_chain_ref,
+        active_state_root,
+        crystallized_state_root,
+    };
+
+    let mut stream = SszStream::new();
+    stream.append(&block);
+    let serialized_block = stream.drain();
+    let ssz_block = SszBlock::from_slice(&serialized_block[..]).unwrap();
+
+    let parent_hashes = Arc::new(parent_hashes);
+    let proposer_map = Arc::new(proposer_map);
+    let attester_map = Arc::new(attester_map);
+    b.iter(|| {
+        let status = validate_ssz_block(
+            &ssz_block,
+            present_slot,
+            cycle_length,
+            justified_slot,
+            &parent_hashes,
+            &proposer_map,
+            &attester_map,
+            &stores.block.clone(),
+            &stores.validator.clone(),
+            &stores.pow_chain.clone()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(status, BlockStatus::NewBlock);
+    });
+}
diff --git a/lighthouse/state/block/validation/mod.rs b/lighthouse/state/block/validation/mod.rs
index 59aa3fc15..6f2b1cfb0 100644
--- a/lighthouse/state/block/validation/mod.rs
+++ b/lighthouse/state/block/validation/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 mod validate_ssz_block;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests;
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod benches;
 
 use super::attestation_record;
 use super::SszBlock;
diff --git a/lighthouse/state/block/validation/tests.rs b/lighthouse/state/block/validation/tests.rs
index ff9a01ede..b2584b677 100644
--- a/lighthouse/state/block/validation/tests.rs
+++ b/lighthouse/state/block/validation/tests.rs
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ use super::super::super::bls::{
     AggregateSignature,
 };
 
-struct TestStore {
-    db: Arc<MemoryDB>,
-    block: Arc<BlockStore<MemoryDB>>,
-    pow_chain: Arc<PoWChainStore<MemoryDB>>,
-    validator: Arc<ValidatorStore<MemoryDB>>,
+pub struct TestStore {
+    pub db: Arc<MemoryDB>,
+    pub block: Arc<BlockStore<MemoryDB>>,
+    pub pow_chain: Arc<PoWChainStore<MemoryDB>>,
+    pub validator: Arc<ValidatorStore<MemoryDB>>,
 }
 
 impl TestStore {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ impl TestStore {
     }
 }
 
-fn generate_attestations_for_slot(attestation_slot: u64,
+pub fn generate_attestations_for_slot(attestation_slot: u64,
                                   block_slot: u64,
                                   shard_count: u16,
                                   validators_per_shard: usize,