diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d9dfe7ed8..946246a93 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ pub mod tx;
 pub mod vm;
 pub mod vm_serial;
 pub mod wallet;
+pub mod rocks;
 
 pub use crate::bls_extensions::BlsStringConversion;
 pub use crate::error::{Error, Result};
diff --git a/src/rocks.rs b/src/rocks.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec4fc7069
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rocks.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use crate::{Error, Result};
+
+use rocksdb::{ColumnFamilyDescriptor, Options, DB, ColumnFamily};
+
+pub enum IteratorMode{
+    Start,
+    End
+}
+
+pub trait Column {
+    const NAME: &'static str;
+}
+
+pub mod columns {
+    pub struct Slabs;
+    pub struct Nullifiers;
+    pub struct MerkleTree;
+}
+
+impl Column for columns::Slabs {
+    const NAME: &'static str = "slabs";
+}
+
+impl Column for columns::Nullifiers {
+    const NAME: &'static str = "nullifiers";
+}
+
+impl Column for columns::MerkleTree {
+    const NAME: &'static str = "merkletree";
+}
+
+pub struct Rocks {
+    db: DB,
+}
+
+impl Rocks {
+    pub fn new(path: &Path) -> Result<Self> {
+        // column family options
+        let cf_opts = Options::default();
+
+        // default column family
+        let default_cf =
+            ColumnFamilyDescriptor::new(rocksdb::DEFAULT_COLUMN_FAMILY_NAME, cf_opts.clone());
+        // slabs column family
+        let slab_cf = ColumnFamilyDescriptor::new(columns::Slabs::NAME, cf_opts.clone());
+        // nullifiers column family
+        let nullifiers_cf = ColumnFamilyDescriptor::new(columns::Nullifiers::NAME, cf_opts.clone());
+        // merkletree column family
+        let merkletree_cf = ColumnFamilyDescriptor::new(columns::MerkleTree::NAME, cf_opts);
+
+        // column families
+        let cfs = vec![default_cf, slab_cf, nullifiers_cf, merkletree_cf];
+
+        // database options
+        let mut opt = Options::default();
+        opt.create_if_missing(true);
+        opt.create_missing_column_families(true);
+
+        // open database with following options and cf
+        let db = DB::open_cf_descriptors(&opt, path, cfs)?;
+
+        Ok(Self { db })
+    }
+
+    pub fn cf_handle<C>(&self) -> Result<&ColumnFamily>
+    where
+        C: Column,
+    {
+        self.db
+            .cf_handle(C::NAME)
+            .ok_or(Error::RocksdbError("unknown column".to_string()))
+    }
+
+    pub fn put_cf(&self, cf: &ColumnFamily, key: Vec<u8>, value: Vec<u8>) -> Result<()> {
+        self.db.put_cf(cf, key, value)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_cf(&self, cf: &ColumnFamily, key: Vec<u8>) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>> {
+        let val = self.db.get_cf(cf, key)?;
+        Ok(val)
+    }
+
+    pub fn iterator(&self, cf: &ColumnFamily, iterator_mode: IteratorMode) -> rocksdb::DBIterator{
+        let iterator_mode = match iterator_mode {
+            IteratorMode::Start => rocksdb::IteratorMode::Start,
+            IteratorMode::End => rocksdb::IteratorMode::End,
+        };
+        self.db.iterator_cf(cf, iterator_mode)
+    }
+
+    pub fn destroy(path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
+        DB::destroy(&Options::default(), path)?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}