diff --git a/src/consensus/proto/protocol_sync.rs b/src/consensus/proto/protocol_sync.rs
index cb50d0336..41173048c 100644
--- a/src/consensus/proto/protocol_sync.rs
+++ b/src/consensus/proto/protocol_sync.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use async_executor::Executor;
-use async_std::sync::Arc;
+use async_std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use log::{debug, error, warn};
 
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ pub struct ProtocolSync {
     state: ValidatorStatePtr,
     p2p: P2pPtr,
     consensus_mode: bool,
+    pending: Mutex<bool>,
 }
 
 impl ProtocolSync {
@@ -51,11 +52,12 @@ impl ProtocolSync {
             state,
             p2p,
             consensus_mode,
+            pending: Mutex::new(false),
         }))
     }
 
     async fn handle_receive_request(self: Arc<Self>) -> Result<()> {
-        debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_request() [START]");
+        debug!("handle_receive_request() [START]");
         loop {
             let order = match self.request_sub.receive().await {
                 Ok(v) => v,
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ impl ProtocolSync {
                 }
             };
 
-            debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_request() received {:?}", order);
+            debug!("handle_receive_request() received {:?}", order);
 
             // Extra validations can be added here
             let key = order.sl;
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ impl ProtocolSync {
                     continue
                 }
             };
-            debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_request(): Found {} blocks", blocks.len());
+            debug!("handle_receive_request(): Found {} blocks", blocks.len());
 
             let response = BlockResponse { blocks };
             if let Err(e) = self.channel.send(response).await {
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ impl ProtocolSync {
     }
 
     async fn handle_receive_block(self: Arc<Self>) -> Result<()> {
-        debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_block() [START]");
+        debug!("handle_receive_block() [START]");
         loop {
             let info = match self.block_sub.receive().await {
                 Ok(v) => v,
@@ -96,7 +98,13 @@ impl ProtocolSync {
                 }
             };
 
-            debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_block() received block");
+            debug!("handle_receive_block() received block");
+
+            // We block here if there's a pending validation, otherwise we might
+            // apply the same block twice.
+            debug!("handle_receive_block(): Waiting for pending block to apply");
+            while *self.pending.lock().await {}
+            debug!("handle_receive_block(): Pending lock released");
 
             // Node stores finalized block, if it doesn't exist (checking by slot),
             // and removes its transactions from the unconfirmed_txs vector.
@@ -104,12 +112,14 @@ impl ProtocolSync {
             // during proposal finalization.
             // Extra validations can be added here.
             if !self.consensus_mode {
+                *self.pending.lock().await = true;
                 let info_copy = (*info).clone();
 
                 let has_block = match self.state.read().await.blockchain.has_block(&info_copy) {
                     Ok(v) => v,
                     Err(e) => {
                         error!("handle_receive_block(): failed checking for has_block(): {}", e);
+                        *self.pending.lock().await = false;
                         continue
                     }
                 };
@@ -124,35 +134,42 @@ impl ProtocolSync {
                             Ok(v) => v,
                             Err(e) => {
                                 warn!("handle_receive_block(): State transition fail: {}", e);
+                                *self.pending.lock().await = false;
                                 continue
                             }
                         };
-                    debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_block(): All state transitions passed");
+                    debug!("handle_receive_block(): All state transitions passed");
 
-                    debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_block(): Updating canon state machine");
+                    debug!("handle_receive_block(): Updating canon state machine");
                     if let Err(e) =
                         self.state.write().await.update_canon_state(state_updates, None).await
                     {
                         error!("handle_receive_block(): Canon statemachine update fail: {}", e);
+                        *self.pending.lock().await = false;
                         continue
                     };
 
-                    debug!("ProtocolSync::handle_receive_block(): Appending block to ledger");
+                    debug!("handle_receive_block(): Appending block to ledger");
                     if let Err(e) = self.state.write().await.blockchain.add(&[info_copy.clone()]) {
                         error!("handle_receive_block(): blockchain.add() fail: {}", e);
+                        *self.pending.lock().await = false;
                         continue
                     };
 
                     if let Err(e) = self.state.write().await.remove_txs(info_copy.txs.clone()) {
                         error!("handle_receive_block(): remove_txs() fail: {}", e);
+                        *self.pending.lock().await = false;
                         continue
                     };
 
                     if let Err(e) = self.p2p.broadcast(info_copy).await {
                         error!("handle_receive_block(): p2p broadcast fail: {}", e);
+                        *self.pending.lock().await = false;
                         continue
                     };
                 }
+
+                *self.pending.lock().await = false;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/consensus/proto/protocol_vote.rs b/src/consensus/proto/protocol_vote.rs
index c0d0cac23..2e785a4a6 100644
--- a/src/consensus/proto/protocol_vote.rs
+++ b/src/consensus/proto/protocol_vote.rs
@@ -67,33 +67,24 @@ impl ProtocolVote {
                 };
 
             if voted {
-                match self.consensus_p2p.broadcast(vote_copy).await {
-                    Ok(()) => {}
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        error!("handle_receive_vote(): consensus p2p broadcast fail: {}", e);
-                        continue
-                    }
+                if let Err(e) = self.consensus_p2p.broadcast(vote_copy).await {
+                    error!("handle_receive_vote(): consensus p2p broadcast fail: {}", e);
+                    continue
                 };
 
                 // Broadcast finalized blocks info, if any
-                match to_broadcast {
-                    Some(blocks) => {
-                        debug!("handle_receive_vote(): Broadcasting finalized blocks");
-                        for info in blocks {
-                            match self.sync_p2p.broadcast(info).await {
-                                Ok(()) => {}
-                                Err(e) => {
-                                    error!("handle_receive_vote(): sync p2p broadcast fail: {}", e);
-                                    continue
-                                }
-                            };
+                if let Some(blocks) = to_broadcast {
+                    debug!("handle_receive_vote(): Broadcasting finalized blocks");
+                    for info in blocks {
+                        if let Err(e) = self.sync_p2p.broadcast(info).await {
+                            error!("handle_receive_vote(): sync p2p broadcast fail: {}", e);
+                            // TODO: Should we quit broadcasting if one fails?
+                            continue
                         }
                     }
-                    None => {
-                        debug!("handle_receive_vote(): No finalized blocks to broadcast");
-                        continue
-                    }
-                }
+                } else {
+                    debug!("handle_receive_vote(): No finalized blocks to broadcast");
+                };
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/consensus/state.rs b/src/consensus/state.rs
index 5a0a4c38a..29aff04a5 100644
--- a/src/consensus/state.rs
+++ b/src/consensus/state.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use crate::{
     },
     net,
     node::{
-        state::{state_transition, StateUpdate},
+        state::{state_transition, ProgramState, StateUpdate},
         Client, MemoryState, State,
     },
     tx::Transaction,
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ use crate::{
 };
 
 /// `2 * DELTA` represents epoch time
-pub const DELTA: u64 = 30;
+pub const DELTA: u64 = 20;
 
 /// This struct represents the information required by the consensus algorithm
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, SerialEncodable, SerialDecodable)]
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ impl ValidatorState {
             burn_vk: Lazy::new(),
         }));
 
+        // Create zk proof verification keys
+        let _ = state_machine.lock().await.mint_vk();
+        let _ = state_machine.lock().await.burn_vk();
+
         let state = Arc::new(RwLock::new(ValidatorState {
             address,
             secret,
@@ -506,18 +510,18 @@ impl ValidatorState {
         let mut encoded_proposal = vec![];
 
         if let Err(e) = vote.proposal.encode(&mut encoded_proposal) {
-            error!(target: "consensus", "Proposal encoding failed: {:?}", e);
+            error!("consensus: Proposal encoding failed: {:?}", e);
             return Ok((false, None))
         };
 
+        let va = vote.address.to_string();
         if !vote.public_key.verify(&encoded_proposal, &vote.vote) {
-            warn!(target: "consensus", "Voter ({}), signature couldn't be verified", vote.address.to_string());
+            warn!("consensus: Voter ({}), signature couldn't be verified", va);
             return Ok((false, None))
         }
 
         // Node refreshes participants records
         self.refresh_participants()?;
-
         let node_count = self.consensus.participants.len();
 
         // Checking that the voter can actually vote.
@@ -525,7 +529,7 @@ impl ValidatorState {
             Some(participant) => {
                 let mut participant = participant.clone();
                 if current_epoch <= participant.joined {
-                    warn!(target: "consensus", "Voter ({}) joined after current epoch.", vote.address.to_string());
+                    warn!("consensus: Voter ({}) joined after current epoch.", va);
                     return Ok((false, None))
                 }
 
@@ -542,7 +546,7 @@ impl ValidatorState {
                 self.consensus.participants.insert(participant.address, participant);
             }
             None => {
-                warn!(target: "consensus", "Voter ({}) is not a participant!", vote.address.to_string());
+                warn!("consensus: Voter ({}) is not a participant!", vote.address.to_string());
                 return Ok((false, None))
             }
         }
@@ -550,7 +554,7 @@ impl ValidatorState {
         let proposal = match self.find_proposal(&vote.proposal) {
             Ok(v) => v,
             Err(e) => {
-                error!(target: "consensus", "find_proposal() failed: {}", e);
+                error!("consensus: find_proposal() failed: {}", e);
                 return Err(e)
             }
         };
@@ -581,7 +585,7 @@ impl ValidatorState {
                     to_broadcast = v;
                 }
                 Err(e) => {
-                    error!(target: "consensus", "Block finalization failed: {}", e);
+                    error!("consensus: Block finalization failed: {}", e);
                     return Err(e)
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/crypto/burn_proof.rs b/src/crypto/burn_proof.rs
index ea6471b2d..cf6f10cf7 100644
--- a/src/crypto/burn_proof.rs
+++ b/src/crypto/burn_proof.rs
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ pub fn create_burn_proof(
     let start = Instant::now();
     let public_inputs = revealed.make_outputs();
     let proof = Proof::create(pk, &[c], &public_inputs, &mut OsRng)?;
-    debug!("Prove: [{:?}]", start.elapsed());
+    debug!("Prove burn: [{:?}]", start.elapsed());
 
     Ok((proof, revealed))
 }
@@ -162,6 +162,9 @@ pub fn verify_burn_proof(
     proof: &Proof,
     revealed: &BurnRevealedValues,
 ) -> Result<()> {
+    let start = Instant::now();
     let public_inputs = revealed.make_outputs();
-    Ok(proof.verify(vk, &public_inputs)?)
+    proof.verify(vk, &public_inputs)?;
+    debug!("Verify burn: [{:?}]", start.elapsed());
+    Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/crypto/mint_proof.rs b/src/crypto/mint_proof.rs
index 7df36f8fb..ecfcb370a 100644
--- a/src/crypto/mint_proof.rs
+++ b/src/crypto/mint_proof.rs
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ pub fn create_mint_proof(
     let start = Instant::now();
     let public_inputs = revealed.make_outputs();
     let proof = Proof::create(pk, &[c], &public_inputs, &mut OsRng)?;
-    debug!("Prove: [{:?}]", start.elapsed());
+    debug!("Prove mint: [{:?}]", start.elapsed());
 
     Ok((proof, revealed))
 }
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ pub fn verify_mint_proof(
     proof: &Proof,
     revealed: &MintRevealedValues,
 ) -> Result<()> {
+    let start = Instant::now();
     let public_inputs = revealed.make_outputs();
-    Ok(proof.verify(vk, &public_inputs)?)
+    proof.verify(vk, &public_inputs)?;
+    debug!("Verify mint: [{:?}]", start.elapsed());
+    Ok(())
 }