diff --git a/beacon_chain/beacon_node.nim b/beacon_chain/beacon_node.nim
index 8addf4dff..2e7849c0d 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/beacon_node.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/beacon_node.nim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import
-  os, net,
+  os, net, sequtils,
   asyncdispatch2, chronicles, confutils, eth_p2p, eth_keys,
-  spec/[beaconstate, datatypes, helpers], conf, time, fork_choice,
+  spec/[beaconstate, datatypes, helpers, crypto], conf, time, fork_choice,
   beacon_chain_db, validator_pool, mainchain_monitor,
   sync_protocol, gossipsub_protocol, trusted_state_snapshots
 
@@ -67,16 +67,30 @@ proc sync*(node: BeaconNode): Future[bool] {.async.} =
 
   return true
 
+template findIt(s: openarray, predicate: untyped): int =
+  var res = -1
+  for i, it {.inject.} in s:
+    if predicate:
+      res = i
+      break
+  res
+
 proc addLocalValidators*(node: BeaconNode) =
   for validator in node.config.validatorKeys:
-    # TODO:
     # 1. Parse the validator keys
-    #
+    let privKey = loadPrivKey(validator)
+    let pubKey = privKey.pubKey()
+
     # 2. Check whether the validators exist in the beacon state.
     #    (Report a warning otherwise)
-    #
-    # 3. Add the validators to node.attachedValidators
-    discard
+    let idx = node.beaconState.validator_registry.findIt(it.pubKey == pubKey)
+    if idx == -1:
+      warn "Validator not in registry", pubKey
+    else:
+      # 3. Add the validators to node.attachedValidators
+      # TODO: Parse randao secret
+      node.attachedValidators.addLocalValidator(idx, pubKey, privKey, @[])
+
 
 proc getAttachedValidator(node: BeaconNode, idx: int): AttachedValidator =
   let validatorKey = node.beaconState.validator_registry[idx].pubkey
diff --git a/beacon_chain/conf.nim b/beacon_chain/conf.nim
index 3d63c563b..0bcdeddd7 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/conf.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/conf.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import
-  confutils/defs
+  confutils/defs, spec/crypto, milagro_crypto
 
 type
   ValidatorKeyPath* = distinct string
@@ -25,9 +25,14 @@ type
             "Nimbus will automatically add the extensions .privkey and .pubkey.",
       shorthand: "v".}: seq[ValidatorKeyPath]
 
+proc loadPrivKey*(p: ValidatorKeyPath): ValidatorPrivKey =
+  initSigKey(cast[seq[byte]](readFile(string(p) & ".privkey")))
+
 proc parse*(T: type ValidatorKeyPath, input: TaintedString): T =
+  discard loadPrivKey(ValidatorKeyPath(input))
+
   # TODO:
   # Check that the entered string is a valid base file name and
-  # that it has matching .privkey, .pubkey and .randaosecret files
+  # that it has matching .privkey, and .randaosecret files
   T(input)
 
diff --git a/beacon_chain/spec/crypto.nim b/beacon_chain/spec/crypto.nim
index c4d3ac2d9..487479f19 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/spec/crypto.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/spec/crypto.nim
@@ -20,3 +20,5 @@ type
 template hash*(k: ValidatorPubKey|ValidatorPrivKey): Hash =
   hash(k.getRaw)
 
+proc pubKey*(pk: ValidatorPrivKey): ValidatorPubKey = fromSigKey(pk)
+
diff --git a/tests/all_tests.nim b/tests/all_tests.nim
index 323b473b7..7881fc545 100644
--- a/tests/all_tests.nim
+++ b/tests/all_tests.nim
@@ -10,4 +10,6 @@ import
   ./test_block_processing,
   ./test_helpers,
   ./test_ssz,
-  ./test_validator
+  ./test_validator,
+  ./test_beacon_node,
+  ./test_sync_protocol
diff --git a/tests/test_beacon_node.nim b/tests/test_beacon_node.nim
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1373a5bf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_beacon_node.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# beacon_chain
+# Copyright (c) 2018 Status Research & Development GmbH
+# Licensed and distributed under either of
+#   * MIT license (license terms in the root directory or at http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).
+#   * Apache v2 license (license terms in the root directory or at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0).
+# at your option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to those terms.
+
+import
+  unittest,
+  ../beacon_chain/beacon_node
+
+suite "Beacon node":
+  # Compile test
+
+  test "Compile":
+    discard
diff --git a/tests/test_sync_protocol.nim b/tests/test_sync_protocol.nim
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff4bf1feb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_sync_protocol.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# beacon_chain
+# Copyright (c) 2018 Status Research & Development GmbH
+# Licensed and distributed under either of
+#   * MIT license (license terms in the root directory or at http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).
+#   * Apache v2 license (license terms in the root directory or at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0).
+# at your option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to those terms.
+
+import
+  unittest,
+  ../beacon_chain/sync_protocol
+
+suite "Sync protocol":
+  # Compile test
+
+  test "Compile":
+    discard