diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index 97f3f1010..ff6017571 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain/address"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain/types"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-filestore"
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ type API interface {
 
 	WalletNew(context.Context, string) (address.Address, error)
 	WalletList(context.Context) ([]address.Address, error)
+	WalletBalance(context.Context, address.Address) (types.BigInt, error)
 	// // import
 	// // export
 	// // (on cli - cmd to list associations)
diff --git a/api/struct.go b/api/struct.go
index 483831fe4..8a44f193d 100644
--- a/api/struct.go
+++ b/api/struct.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain/address"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain/types"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
@@ -25,8 +26,9 @@ type Struct struct {
 		MinerStart       func(context.Context, address.Address) error
 		MinerCreateBlock func(context.Context, address.Address, *chain.TipSet, []chain.Ticket, chain.ElectionProof, []*chain.SignedMessage) (*chain.BlockMsg, error)
 
-		WalletNew  func(context.Context, string) (address.Address, error)
-		WalletList func(context.Context) ([]address.Address, error)
+		WalletNew     func(context.Context, string) (address.Address, error)
+		WalletList    func(context.Context) ([]address.Address, error)
+		WalletBalance func(context.Context, address.Address) (types.BigInt, error)
 
 		ClientImport      func(ctx context.Context, path string) (cid.Cid, error)
 		ClientListImports func(ctx context.Context) ([]Import, error)
@@ -99,4 +101,8 @@ func (c *Struct) WalletList(ctx context.Context) ([]address.Address, error) {
 	return c.Internal.WalletList(ctx)
 }
 
+func (c *Struct) WalletBalance(ctx context.Context, a address.Address) (types.BigInt, error) {
+	return c.Internal.WalletBalance(ctx, a)
+}
+
 var _ API = &Struct{}
diff --git a/chain/chain.go b/chain/chain.go
index 790379600..a971b0e4d 100644
--- a/chain/chain.go
+++ b/chain/chain.go
@@ -507,3 +507,24 @@ func (cs *ChainStore) LoadMessagesFromCids(cids []cid.Cid) ([]*SignedMessage, er
 
 	return msgs, nil
 }
+
+func (cs *ChainStore) GetBalance(addr address.Address) (types.BigInt, error) {
+	ts := cs.GetHeaviestTipSet()
+	stcid, err := cs.TipSetState(ts.Cids())
+	if err != nil {
+		return types.BigInt{}, err
+	}
+
+	cst := hamt.CSTFromBstore(cs.bs)
+	state, err := LoadStateTree(cst, stcid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return types.BigInt{}, err
+	}
+
+	act, err := state.GetActor(addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return types.BigInt{}, err
+	}
+
+	return act.Balance, nil
+}
diff --git a/cli/wallet.go b/cli/wallet.go
index ab8e3f394..ba8ce007a 100644
--- a/cli/wallet.go
+++ b/cli/wallet.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package cli
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain/address"
 	"gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v2"
 )
 
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ var walletCmd = &cli.Command{
 	Subcommands: []*cli.Command{
 		walletNew,
 		walletList,
+		walletBalance,
 	},
 }
 
@@ -62,3 +64,28 @@ var walletList = &cli.Command{
 		return nil
 	},
 }
+
+var walletBalance = &cli.Command{
+	Name:  "balance",
+	Usage: "get account balance",
+	Action: func(cctx *cli.Context) error {
+		api, err := getAPI(cctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		ctx := reqContext(cctx)
+
+		addr, err := address.NewFromString(cctx.Args().First())
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		balance, err := api.WalletBalance(ctx, addr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		fmt.Printf("%s\n", balance.String())
+		return nil
+	},
+}
diff --git a/node/api.go b/node/api.go
index b164fef33..e2700fb8f 100644
--- a/node/api.go
+++ b/node/api.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/build"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain/address"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/chain/types"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/miner"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-lotus/node/client"
 
@@ -113,6 +114,10 @@ func (a *API) WalletList(ctx context.Context) ([]address.Address, error) {
 	return a.Wallet.ListAddrs()
 }
 
+func (a *API) WalletBalance(ctx context.Context, addr address.Address) (types.BigInt, error) {
+	return a.Chain.GetBalance(addr)
+}
+
 func (a *API) NetConnect(ctx context.Context, p peer.AddrInfo) error {
 	return a.Host.Connect(ctx, p)
 }