diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..532170d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+---
+name: Build, lint, test
+run-name: Test JS CLI (started by @${{ github.triggering_actor }})
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types:
+      - opened
+      - synchronize
+      - reopened
+
+jobs:
+  build_test_lint:
+    name: Build, test, and lint
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 20.10.0
+      - name: Install
+        run: yarn --network-timeout 180000
+      - name: Typecheck
+        run: yarn run test:types
+      - name: Build
+        run: yarn run build
+      - name: Add TSS server host mappings
+        run: |
+          echo "127.0.0.1 alice-tss-server bob-tss-server" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
+      - name: Test
+        run: yarn run test
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c2cac619..43910832 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@ Version header format: `[version] Name - year-month-day (entropy-core compatibil
 ## [UNRELEASED]
 
 ### Added
-
+- new: './src/flows/balance/balance.ts' - service file separated out of main flow containing the pure functions to perform balance requests for one or multiple addresses
+- new: './tests/balance.test.ts' - new unit tests file for balance pure functions
 ### Fixed
-
+- keyring retrieval method was incorrectly returning the default keyring when no keyring was found, which is not the intended flow
 ### Changed
-
+- conditional when initializing entropy object to only error if no seed AND admin account is not found in the account data, new unit test caught bug with using OR condition
 ### Broke
 
 ### Meta/Dev
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 293366de..9e4fc0cf 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/entropyxyz/cli#readme",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@entropyxyz/sdk": "^0.2.1",
+    "@entropyxyz/sdk": "^0.2.2-0",
     "@polkadot/util": "^12.6.2",
     "@types/node": "^20.12.12",
     "ansi-colors": "^4.1.3",
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
     "husky": "^9.0.11",
     "lint-staged": "^15.2.2",
     "pinst": "^3.0.0",
+    "readline": "^1.3.0",
     "regenerator-runtime": "^0.14.1",
     "tap-spec": "^5.0.0",
     "tape": "^5.7.5",
diff --git a/src/common/initializeEntropy.ts b/src/common/initializeEntropy.ts
index 0aba9401..abb63c87 100644
--- a/src/common/initializeEntropy.ts
+++ b/src/common/initializeEntropy.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ const keyrings = {
 export function getKeyring (address) {
   if (!address && keyrings.default) return keyrings.default
   if (address && keyrings[address]) return keyrings[address]
-  return keyrings.default
+// explicitly return undefined so there is no confusion around what is selected
+  return undefined
 }
 
 interface InitializeEntropyOpts {
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ export const initializeEntropy = async ({ keyMaterial, password, endpoint }: Ini
     await wasmGlobalsReady()
 
     const { accountData, password: successfulPassword } = await getAccountDataAndPassword(keyMaterial, password)
-    if (!accountData.seed || !accountData.admin) {
+// check if there is no admin account and no seed so that we can throw an error
+    if (!accountData.seed && !accountData.admin) {
       throw new Error("Data format is not recognized as either encrypted or unencrypted")
     }
 
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ export const initializeEntropy = async ({ keyMaterial, password, endpoint }: Ini
     }
 
     let selectedAccount
-    const storedKeyring = getKeyring(accountData.admin.address)
+    const storedKeyring = getKeyring(accountData?.admin?.address)
 
     if(!storedKeyring) {
       const keyring = new Keyring({ ...accountData, debug: true })
diff --git a/src/flows/balance/balance.ts b/src/flows/balance/balance.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2a5ce3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/flows/balance/balance.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import Entropy from "@entropyxyz/sdk";
+import { BalanceInfo } from "./types";
+
+const hexToBigInt = (hexString: string) => BigInt(hexString)
+
+export async function getBalance (entropy: Entropy, address: string): Promise<number> {
+  try {
+    const accountInfo = (await entropy.substrate.query.system.account(address)) as any
+    
+    return parseInt(hexToBigInt(accountInfo.data.free).toString())
+  } catch (error) {
+    // console.error(`There was an error getting balance for [acct = ${address}]`, error);
+    throw new Error(error.message)
+  }
+}
+
+export async function getBalances (entropy: Entropy, addresses: string[]): Promise<BalanceInfo> {
+  const balanceInfo: BalanceInfo = {}
+  try {
+    await Promise.all(addresses.map(async address => {
+      try {
+        const balance = await getBalance(entropy, address)
+        
+        balanceInfo[address] = { balance }
+      } catch (error) {
+        // console.error(`Error retrieving balance for ${address}`, error);
+        balanceInfo[address] = { error: error.message }
+      }
+    }))
+    
+    return balanceInfo
+  } catch (error) {
+    // console.error(`There was an error getting balances for [${addresses}]`, error);
+    throw new Error(error.message)
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/flows/balance/cli.ts b/src/flows/balance/cli.ts
index 78a441e0..2b8c7d83 100644
--- a/src/flows/balance/cli.ts
+++ b/src/flows/balance/cli.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import { initializeEntropy } from '../../common/initializeEntropy'
 import * as config from '../../config'
 import { debug } from '../../common/utils'
-
-const hexToBigInt = (hexString: string) => BigInt(hexString)
+import { getBalance } from './balance'
 
 export async function cliGetBalance ({ address, password, endpoint }) {
   const storedConfig = await config.get()
@@ -17,10 +16,8 @@ export async function cliGetBalance ({ address, password, endpoint }) {
   }
 
   const entropy = await initializeEntropy({ keyMaterial: account.data, password, endpoint })
+  const balance = await getBalance(entropy, address)
 
-  const accountInfo = (await entropy.substrate.query.system.account(address)) as any
-  debug('accountInfo', accountInfo)
-
-  return hexToBigInt(accountInfo.data.free).toString()
+  return balance
 }
 
diff --git a/src/flows/balance/index.ts b/src/flows/balance/index.ts
index 1ed0b5cf..13bd3eb0 100644
--- a/src/flows/balance/index.ts
+++ b/src/flows/balance/index.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { initializeEntropy } from "../../common/initializeEntropy"
 import { print, debug, getSelectedAccount } from "../../common/utils"
+import { getBalance } from "./balance";
 
-const hexToBigInt = (hexString: string) => BigInt(hexString)
-
-
+// TO-DO setup flow method to provide options to allow users to select account,
+// use external address, or get balances for all accounts in config
 export async function checkBalance ({ accounts, selectedAccount: selectedAccountAddress }, options) {
   const { endpoint } = options
   debug('endpoint', endpoint);
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ export async function checkBalance ({ accounts, selectedAccount: selectedAccount
   const selectedAccount = getSelectedAccount(accounts, selectedAccountAddress)
   const entropy = await initializeEntropy({ keyMaterial: selectedAccount.data, endpoint });
   const accountAddress = selectedAccountAddress
-  // @ts-ignore
-  const accountInfo = (await entropy.substrate.query.system.account(accountAddress)) as any
-  const freeBalance = hexToBigInt(accountInfo.data.free)
+  const freeBalance = await getBalance(entropy, accountAddress)
   print(`Address ${accountAddress} has a balance of: ${freeBalance.toLocaleString('en-US')} BITS`)
 }
diff --git a/src/flows/balance/types.ts b/src/flows/balance/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5bcc820c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/flows/balance/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+export type BalanceInfoWithError = {
+  balance?: number
+  error?: Error
+}
+
+export interface BalanceInfo {
+  [address: string]: BalanceInfoWithError
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/types/index.ts b/src/types/index.ts
index 6a9fd63a..6811e13c 100644
--- a/src/types/index.ts
+++ b/src/types/index.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ export interface EntropyAccountConfig {
 }
 
 export interface EntropyAccountData {
-  debug: boolean
+  debug?: boolean
   seed: string
-  admin: EntropyAccount
+  admin?: EntropyAccount
   registration?: EntropyAccount
   deviceKey?: EntropyAccount
   programDev?: EntropyAccount
diff --git a/tests/balance.test.ts b/tests/balance.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f1896b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/balance.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import test from 'tape'
+import Entropy, { wasmGlobalsReady } from '@entropyxyz/sdk'
+// WIP: I'm seeing problems importing this?
+import Keyring from '@entropyxyz/sdk/dist/keys/index'
+import { 
+  makeSeed,
+  promiseRunner,
+  sleep,
+  spinNetworkUp,
+  spinNetworkDown
+} from './testing-utils'
+
+import { getBalance, getBalances } from '../src/flows/balance/balance'
+import { initializeEntropy } from 'src/common/initializeEntropy'
+
+const networkType = 'two-nodes'
+
+// TODO: export charlieStashSeed
+const richAddress = '5Ck5SLSHYac6WFt5UZRSsdJjwmpSZq85fd5TRNAdZQVzEAPT'
+
+test('getBalance + getBalances', async (t) => {
+  /* Setup */
+  const run = promiseRunner(t)
+  await run('wasm', wasmGlobalsReady())
+  await run('network up', spinNetworkUp(networkType))
+  // this gets called after all tests are run
+  t.teardown(async () => {
+    await entropy.close()
+    await spinNetworkDown(networkType).catch((error) =>
+      console.error('Error while spinning network down', error.message)
+    )
+  })
+  await sleep(process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE ? 30_000 : 5_000)
+
+  const newSeed = makeSeed()
+  const entropy = await initializeEntropy({ keyMaterial: { seed: newSeed, debug: true }, endpoint: 'ws://127.0.0.1:9944', })
+  const newAddress = entropy.keyring.accounts.registration.address
+  
+  await run('entropy ready', entropy.ready)
+
+  /* getBalance */
+  const newAddressBalance = await run(
+    'getBalance (newSeed)',
+    getBalance(entropy, newAddress)
+  )
+  
+  t.equal(newAddressBalance, 0, 'newSeed balance = 0')
+
+  const richAddressBalance = await run(
+    'getBalance (richAddress)',
+    getBalance(entropy, richAddress)
+  )
+  
+  t.true(richAddressBalance > BigInt(10e10), 'richAddress balance >>> 0')
+
+  /* getBalances */
+
+  const balances = await run(
+    'getBalances',
+    getBalances(entropy, [newAddress, richAddress])
+  )
+
+  t.deepEqual(
+    balances,
+    {
+      [newAddress]: {balance: newAddressBalance},
+      [richAddress]: {balance: richAddressBalance}
+    },
+    'getBalances works'
+  )
+
+  const badAddresses = ['5Cz6BfUaxxXCA3jninzxdan4JdmC1NVpgkiRPYhXbhr', '5Cz6BfUaxxXCA3jninzxdan4JdmC1NVpgkiRPYhXbhrfnD']
+  const balancesWithNoGoodAddress = await run(
+    'getBalances::one good address',
+    getBalances(entropy, badAddresses)
+  )
+
+  badAddresses.forEach(addr => {
+    t.true(!!balancesWithNoGoodAddress[addr].error, `error field is populated for ${addr}`)
+  })
+  // TODO:
+  // - test getBalances with 1 good address, 1 bung seed
+
+  t.end()
+})
diff --git a/tests/testing-utils/index.ts b/tests/testing-utils/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a83525a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testing-utils/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import { spinNetworkUp, spinNetworkDown, } from "@entropyxyz/sdk/dev/testing-utils.mjs"
+// import { spinNetworkUp, spinNetworkDown, } from "@entropyxyz/sdk/testing"
+import * as readline from 'readline'
+import { randomBytes } from 'crypto'
+
+export {
+  spinNetworkUp,
+  spinNetworkDown,
+}
+
+/* Helper for wrapping promises which makes it super clear in logging if the promise
+ * resolves or threw.
+ *
+ * @param {any} t - an instance to tape runner
+ * @param {boolean} keepThrowing - toggle throwing
+ */
+export function promiseRunner(t: any, keepThrowing = false) {
+  // NOTE: this function swallows errors
+  return async function run(
+    message: string,
+    promise: Promise<any>
+  ): Promise<any> {
+    if (promise.constructor !== Promise) {
+      t.pass(message)
+      return Promise.resolve(promise)
+    }
+
+    const startTime = Date.now()
+    return promise
+      .then((result) => {
+        const time = (Date.now() - startTime) / 1000
+        const pad = Array(40 - message.length)
+          .fill('-')
+          .join('')
+        t.pass(`${message} ${pad} ${time}s`)
+        return result
+      })
+      .catch((err) => {
+        t.error(err, message)
+        if (keepThrowing) throw err
+      })
+  }
+}
+
+const SLEEP_DONE = '▓'
+const SLEEP_TODO = '░'
+
+export function sleep(durationInMs: number) {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    let count = 0
+
+    readline.cursorTo(process.stdout, 2)
+
+    const steps = Math.min(Math.round(durationInMs / 1000), 80)
+    const stepLength = durationInMs / steps
+
+    console.log('') // write blank link to overwrite
+    const interval = setInterval(step, stepLength)
+
+    function step() {
+      count++
+
+      if (count >= steps) {
+        clearInterval(interval)
+
+        undoLastLine()
+        console.log(`sleep (${durationInMs / 1000}s)`)
+        resolve('DONE')
+        return
+      }
+
+      undoLastLine()
+      console.log(
+        [
+          'sleep ',
+          ...Array(count).fill(SLEEP_DONE),
+          ...Array(steps - count).fill(SLEEP_TODO),
+          '\n',
+        ].join('')
+      )
+    }
+  })
+}
+function undoLastLine() {
+  readline.moveCursor(process.stdout, 0, -1)
+  readline.cursorTo(process.stdout, 0)
+  readline.clearLine(process.stdout, 0)
+  readline.cursorTo(process.stdout, 4) // indent
+}
+
+export function makeSeed () {
+  return '0x' + randomBytes(32).toString('hex')
+}
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index 149992c7..a0d38874 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "compilerOptions": {
+    "baseUrl": "./",
     "target": "ES6",
     "skipLibCheck": true,
     "noEmit": true,
@@ -10,7 +11,10 @@
     ],
     "tsBuildInfoFile": ".tsbuildinfo",
     "moduleResolution": "node",
-    "module": "Node16"
+    "module": "Node16",
+    "paths": {
+      "@entropyxyz/sdk/*": ["node_modules/@entropyxyz/sdk/*"]
+    }
   },
   "exclude": [
     "node_modules",
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 714516b7..9cd746ba 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@entropyxyz/entropy-protocol-web/-/entropy-protocol-web-0.2.0.tgz#b9478438386fefb4b821dbac95ec81d251d2dd55"
   integrity sha512-lLa/lLNJnwH1R8fJvLlUn1kw7d4Rbnt9LjhUC69HKxkU69J+bw/EY6fAjBnpVbgNmqCnYpf/DBLtMyOayZeNDQ==
 
-"@entropyxyz/sdk@^0.2.1":
-  version "0.2.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@entropyxyz/sdk/-/sdk-0.2.1.tgz#0e55eb29b0b4952c083689f6d045b5d7ef670827"
-  integrity sha512-tH5N2jQFiFKwM/s2P771Ux+up1fx+TGNalUIbGYdAqleJuV4yYlyzrvunU42Cjw6ikFDr1BQKvXOpWeMUMpbSA==
+"@entropyxyz/sdk@^0.2.2-0":
+  version "0.2.2-0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@entropyxyz/sdk/-/sdk-0.2.2-0.tgz#6c70b8db69bcd934aab3cc2c4d961e175dfc7ff6"
+  integrity sha512-qQsobti5I9/wEIslVEaLuXe/QalcMbp7bf/QePzN0tUqCzcYXuwz4kTIJEaQq1vdu0peDTJ3BeM2WVBve+iK6w==
   dependencies:
     "@entropyxyz/entropy-protocol-nodejs" "^0.2.0"
     "@entropyxyz/entropy-protocol-web" "^0.2.0"
@@ -3031,6 +3031,11 @@ readdirp@~3.6.0:
   dependencies:
     picomatch "^2.2.1"
 
+readline@^1.3.0:
+  version "1.3.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/readline/-/readline-1.3.0.tgz#c580d77ef2cfc8752b132498060dc9793a7ac01c"
+  integrity sha512-k2d6ACCkiNYz222Fs/iNze30rRJ1iIicW7JuX/7/cozvih6YCkFZH+J6mAFDVgv0dRBaAyr4jDqC95R2y4IADg==
+
 regenerator-runtime@^0.14.1:
   version "0.14.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/regenerator-runtime/-/regenerator-runtime-0.14.1.tgz#356ade10263f685dda125100cd862c1db895327f"