diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
index 87ae481c..100ee0e1 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const fs = require('../../core/fs.js');
 const constants = require('../../constants.json');
 
 const GethCommands = require('./geth_commands.js');
+const DevFunds = require('./dev_funds.js');
 
 /*eslint complexity: ["error", 36]*/
 var Blockchain = function(options) {
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ var Blockchain = function(options) {
   this.env = options.env || 'development';
   this.client = options.client;
   this.isDev = options.isDev;
-  this.onReadyCallback = options.onReadyCallback;
+  this.onReadyCallback = options.onReadyCallback || (() => {});
 
   if ((this.blockchainConfig === {} || JSON.stringify(this.blockchainConfig) === '{"enabled":true}') && this.env !== 'development') {
     console.log("===> " + __("warning: running default config on a non-development environment"));
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ var Blockchain = function(options) {
     wsHost: this.blockchainConfig.wsHost || 'localhost',
     wsPort: this.blockchainConfig.wsPort || 8546,
     wsOrigins: this.blockchainConfig.wsOrigins || false,
-    wsApi: (this.blockchainConfig.wsApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'shh', 'debug']),
+    wsApi: (this.blockchainConfig.wsApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'shh', 'debug', 'personal']),
     vmdebug: this.blockchainConfig.vmdebug || false,
     targetGasLimit: this.blockchainConfig.targetGasLimit || false,
     syncMode: this.blockchainConfig.syncMode,
@@ -162,6 +163,12 @@ Blockchain.prototype.run = function() {
     self.child.stderr.on('data', (data) => {
       data = data.toString();
       if (self.onReadyCallback && !self.readyCalled && data.indexOf('WebSocket endpoint opened') > -1) {
+        if (self.isDev) {
+          return self.createFundAndUnlockAccounts(() => {
+            self.readyCalled = true;
+            self.onReadyCallback();
+          });
+        }
         self.readyCalled = true;
         self.onReadyCallback();
       }
@@ -175,6 +182,16 @@ Blockchain.prototype.run = function() {
   });
 };
 
+Blockchain.prototype.createFundAndUnlockAccounts = function(cb) {
+  console.dir('createFundAndUnlockAccounts');
+  let devFunds = new DevFunds(this.config);
+  devFunds.createFundAndUnlockAccounts(() => {
+    console.dir("=====> done!");
+    console.dir(arguments);
+    cb();
+  });
+}
+
 Blockchain.prototype.kill = function() {
   if (this.child) {
     this.child.kill();
diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/dev_funds.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/dev_funds.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6abe4f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/dev_funds.js
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+const async = require('async');
+var Web3 = require('web3');
+var utils = require('../../utils/utils.js');
+
+class DevFunds {
+  constructor(blockchainConfig) {
+    this.web3 = null;
+    this.blockchainConfig = blockchainConfig;
+    this.accounts = [];
+    this.numAccounts = this.blockchainConfig.account.numAccounts || 0;
+    //this.balance = this.blockchainConfig.account.balance || Web3.utils.toWei("1", "ether");
+    this.balance = Web3.utils.toWei("1", "ether");
+    this.password = "dev_password"
+  }
+
+  connectToNode(cb) {
+    const self = this;
+    this.web3 = new Web3();
+    this.web3.setProvider(new Web3.providers.WebsocketProvider(utils.buildUrl('ws', this.blockchainConfig.wsHost, this.blockchainConfig.wsPort), {headers: {Origin: "http://localhost:8000"}}));
+    this.web3.eth.getAccounts().then((accounts) => {
+      self.web3.eth.defaultAccount = accounts[0];
+      cb();
+    });
+  }
+
+  createAccounts(numAccounts, password, cb) {
+    console.dir("creating " + numAccounts + " with password " + password);
+    const self = this;
+    async.timesLimit(numAccounts, 1, (_, next) => {
+      console.dir("--- creating new account");
+      self.web3.eth.personal.newAccount(password, next);
+    }, (err, accounts) => {
+      console.dir("-- accounts created are ");
+      console.dir(accounts);
+      this.accounts = accounts;
+      cb(err);
+    }); 
+  }
+
+  unlockAccounts(password, cb) {
+    const self = this;
+    async.each(this.accounts, (account, next) => {
+      self.web3.eth.personal.unlockAccount(account, password).then(() => { next() });
+    }, cb);
+  }
+
+  fundAccounts(balance, cb) {
+    const self = this;
+    async.each(this.accounts, (account, next) => {
+      self.web3.eth.sendTransaction({to: account, value: balance}).then(() => {
+        next();
+      });
+    }, cb);
+  }
+
+  createFundAndUnlockAccounts(cb) {
+    const self = this;
+    async.waterfall([
+      function connect(next) {
+        self.connectToNode(next);
+      },
+      function create(next) {
+        self.createAccounts(self.numAccounts, self.password, next)
+      },
+      function unlock(next) {
+        self.unlockAccounts(self.password, next);
+      },
+      function fund(next) {
+        self.fundAccounts(self.balance, next);
+      },
+    ], cb);
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = DevFunds;
diff --git a/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js b/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
index 5317286d..919b37f1 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
+++ b/lib/cmds/blockchain/geth_commands.js
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class GethCommands {
     let self = this;
     let config = this.config;
     let rpc_api = (this.config.rpcApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'debug']);
-    let ws_api = (this.config.wsApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'debug']);
+    let ws_api = (this.config.wsApi || ['eth', 'web3', 'net', 'debug', 'personal']);
 
     let args = [];
 
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 70f4b6ca..a2698080 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Embark {
 
   blockchain(env, client) {
     this.context = [constants.contexts.blockchain];
-    return require('./cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js')(this.config.blockchainConfig, client, env, this.isDev(env)).run();
+    return require('./cmds/blockchain/blockchain.js')(this.config.blockchainConfig, client, env, this.isDev(env), () => {}).run();
   }
 
   simulator(options) {
diff --git a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
index cf136e8d..e92186eb 100644
--- a/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
+++ b/test_apps/test_app/config/blockchain.json
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
     "rpcPort": 8545,
     "rpcCorsDomain": "auto",
     "account": {
+      "numAccounts": 3,
+      "balance": "5 ether",
       "password": "config/development/password"
     },
     "targetGasLimit": 8000000,