diff --git a/examples/7nodes/genesis.json b/examples/7nodes/genesis.json
index 8c529b1..925d615 100644
--- a/examples/7nodes/genesis.json
+++ b/examples/7nodes/genesis.json
@@ -15,22 +15,22 @@
         "0xaca3b76ed4968740c3180dd7fa37f4aa229a2c758a848f53920e9ccb4c4bb74e": "0x01",
         "0xd188ba2dc293670542c1befaf7678b0859e5354a0727d1188b2afb6f47fe24d1": "0x01"
       },
-      "balance": "1000000000000000000000000000"
+      "balance": "0"
     },
     "0xed9d02e382b34818e88b88a309c7fe71e65f419d": {
-      "balance": "1000000000000000000000000000"
+      "balance": "0"
     },
     "0xca843569e3427144cead5e4d5999a3d0ccf92b8e": {
-      "balance": "1000000000000000000000000000"
+      "balance": "0"
     },
     "0x0fbdc686b912d7722dc86510934589e0aaf3b55a": {
-      "balance": "1000000000000000000000000000"
+      "balance": "0"
     },
     "0x9186eb3d20cbd1f5f992a950d808c4495153abd5": {
-      "balance": "1000000000000000000000000000"
+      "balance": "0"
     },
     "0x0638e1574728b6d862dd5d3a3e0942c3be47d996": {
-      "balance": "1000000000000000000000000000"
+      "balance": "0"
     }
   },
   "coinbase": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
   },
   "difficulty": "0x0",
   "extraData": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
-  "gasLimit": "0x2FEFD800",
+  "gasLimit": "0xE0000000",
   "mixhash": "0x00000000000000000000000000000000000000647572616c65787365646c6578",
   "nonce": "0x0",
   "parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
diff --git a/examples/7nodes/raft-start.sh b/examples/7nodes/raft-start.sh
index 2a63768..0785203 100755
--- a/examples/7nodes/raft-start.sh
+++ b/examples/7nodes/raft-start.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 set -u
 set -e
 
-GLOBAL_ARGS="--raft --rpc --rpcaddr 0.0.0.0 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum"
+GLOBAL_ARGS="--raft --rpc --rpcaddr 0.0.0.0 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum --emitcheckpoints"
 
 echo "[*] Starting Constellation nodes"
 nohup constellation-node tm1.conf 2>> qdata/logs/constellation1.log &
@@ -17,25 +17,25 @@ nohup constellation-node tm7.conf 2>> qdata/logs/constellation7.log &
 sleep 1
 
 echo "[*] Starting node 1"
-PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm1.conf nohup geth --nousb --datadir qdata/dd1 $GLOBAL_ARGS --rpcport 22000 --port 21000 --unlock 0 --password passwords.txt 2>>qdata/logs/1.log &
+PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm1.conf nohup geth --datadir qdata/dd1 $GLOBAL_ARGS --raftport 50401 --rpcport 22000 --port 21000 --unlock 0 --password passwords.txt 2>>qdata/logs/1.log &
 
 echo "[*] Starting node 2"
-PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm2.conf nohup geth --nousb --datadir qdata/dd2 $GLOBAL_ARGS --rpcport 22001 --port 21001 2>>qdata/logs/2.log &
+PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm2.conf nohup geth --datadir qdata/dd2 $GLOBAL_ARGS --raftport 50402 --rpcport 22001 --port 21001 2>>qdata/logs/2.log &
 
 echo "[*] Starting node 3"
-PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm3.conf nohup geth --nousb --datadir qdata/dd3 $GLOBAL_ARGS --rpcport 22002 --port 21002 2>>qdata/logs/3.log &
+PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm3.conf nohup geth --datadir qdata/dd3 $GLOBAL_ARGS --raftport 50403 --rpcport 22002 --port 21002 2>>qdata/logs/3.log &
 
 echo "[*] Starting node 4"
-PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm4.conf nohup geth --nousb --datadir qdata/dd4 $GLOBAL_ARGS --rpcport 22003 --port 21003 2>>qdata/logs/4.log &
+PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm4.conf nohup geth --datadir qdata/dd4 $GLOBAL_ARGS --raftport 50404 --rpcport 22003 --port 21003 2>>qdata/logs/4.log &
 
 echo "[*] Starting node 5"
-PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm5.conf nohup geth --nousb --datadir qdata/dd5 $GLOBAL_ARGS --rpcport 22004 --port 21004 2>>qdata/logs/5.log &
+PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm5.conf nohup geth --datadir qdata/dd5 $GLOBAL_ARGS --raftport 50405 --rpcport 22004 --port 21004 2>>qdata/logs/5.log &
 
 echo "[*] Starting node 6"
-PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm6.conf nohup geth --nousb --datadir qdata/dd6 $GLOBAL_ARGS --rpcport 22005 --port 21005 2>>qdata/logs/6.log &
+PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm6.conf nohup geth --datadir qdata/dd6 $GLOBAL_ARGS --raftport 50406 --rpcport 22005 --port 21005 2>>qdata/logs/6.log &
 
 echo "[*] Starting node 7"
-PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm7.conf nohup geth --nousb --datadir qdata/dd7 $GLOBAL_ARGS --rpcport 22006 --port 21006 2>>qdata/logs/7.log &
+PRIVATE_CONFIG=tm7.conf nohup geth --datadir qdata/dd7 $GLOBAL_ARGS --raftport 50407 --rpcport 22006 --port 21006 2>>qdata/logs/7.log &
 
 echo "[*] Waiting for nodes to start"
 sleep 10
diff --git a/examples/7nodes/raft/static-nodes.json b/examples/7nodes/raft/static-nodes.json
index 99c6486..209020a 100644
--- a/examples/7nodes/raft/static-nodes.json
+++ b/examples/7nodes/raft/static-nodes.json
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 [
-  "enode://ac6b1096ca56b9f6d004b779ae3728bf83f8e22453404cc3cef16a3d9b96608bc67c4b30db88e0a5a6c6390213f7acbe1153ff6d23ce57380104288ae19373ef@127.0.0.1:21000?discport=0",
-  "enode://0ba6b9f606a43a95edc6247cdb1c1e105145817be7bcafd6b2c0ba15d58145f0dc1a194f70ba73cd6f4cdd6864edc7687f311254c7555cc32e4d45aeb1b80416@127.0.0.1:21001?discport=0",
-  "enode://579f786d4e2830bbcc02815a27e8a9bacccc9605df4dc6f20bcc1a6eb391e7225fff7cb83e5b4ecd1f3a94d8b733803f2f66b7e871961e7b029e22c155c3a778@127.0.0.1:21002?discport=0",
-  "enode://3d9ca5956b38557aba991e31cf510d4df641dce9cc26bfeb7de082f0c07abb6ede3a58410c8f249dabeecee4ad3979929ac4c7c496ad20b8cfdd061b7401b4f5@127.0.0.1:21003?discport=0",
-  "enode://3701f007bfa4cb26512d7df18e6bbd202e8484a6e11d387af6e482b525fa25542d46ff9c99db87bd419b980c24a086117a397f6d8f88e74351b41693880ea0cb@127.0.0.1:21004?discport=0",
-  "enode://eacaa74c4b0e7a9e12d2fe5fee6595eda841d6d992c35dbbcc50fcee4aa86dfbbdeff7dc7e72c2305d5a62257f82737a8cffc80474c15c611c037f52db1a3a7b@127.0.0.1:21005?discport=0",
-  "enode://239c1f044a2b03b6c4713109af036b775c5418fe4ca63b04b1ce00124af00ddab7cc088fc46020cdc783b6207efe624551be4c06a994993d8d70f684688fb7cf@127.0.0.1:21006?discport=0"
+  "enode://ac6b1096ca56b9f6d004b779ae3728bf83f8e22453404cc3cef16a3d9b96608bc67c4b30db88e0a5a6c6390213f7acbe1153ff6d23ce57380104288ae19373ef@127.0.0.1:21000?discport=0&raftport=50401",
+  "enode://0ba6b9f606a43a95edc6247cdb1c1e105145817be7bcafd6b2c0ba15d58145f0dc1a194f70ba73cd6f4cdd6864edc7687f311254c7555cc32e4d45aeb1b80416@127.0.0.1:21001?discport=0&raftport=50402",
+  "enode://579f786d4e2830bbcc02815a27e8a9bacccc9605df4dc6f20bcc1a6eb391e7225fff7cb83e5b4ecd1f3a94d8b733803f2f66b7e871961e7b029e22c155c3a778@127.0.0.1:21002?discport=0&raftport=50403",
+  "enode://3d9ca5956b38557aba991e31cf510d4df641dce9cc26bfeb7de082f0c07abb6ede3a58410c8f249dabeecee4ad3979929ac4c7c496ad20b8cfdd061b7401b4f5@127.0.0.1:21003?discport=0&raftport=50404",
+  "enode://3701f007bfa4cb26512d7df18e6bbd202e8484a6e11d387af6e482b525fa25542d46ff9c99db87bd419b980c24a086117a397f6d8f88e74351b41693880ea0cb@127.0.0.1:21004?discport=0&raftport=50405",
+  "enode://eacaa74c4b0e7a9e12d2fe5fee6595eda841d6d992c35dbbcc50fcee4aa86dfbbdeff7dc7e72c2305d5a62257f82737a8cffc80474c15c611c037f52db1a3a7b@127.0.0.1:21005?discport=0&raftport=50406",
+  "enode://239c1f044a2b03b6c4713109af036b775c5418fe4ca63b04b1ce00124af00ddab7cc088fc46020cdc783b6207efe624551be4c06a994993d8d70f684688fb7cf@127.0.0.1:21006?discport=0&raftport=50407"
 ]
diff --git a/examples/7nodes/script1.js b/examples/7nodes/script1.js
index 0352bb1..add2bc3 100644
--- a/examples/7nodes/script1.js
+++ b/examples/7nodes/script1.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ var abi = [{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"storedData","outputs":[{"name":"
 var bytecode = "0x6060604052341561000f57600080fd5b604051602080610149833981016040528080519060200190919050505b806000819055505b505b610104806100456000396000f30060606040526000357c0100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000900463ffffffff1680632a1afcd914605157806360fe47b11460775780636d4ce63c146097575b600080fd5b3415605b57600080fd5b606160bd565b6040518082815260200191505060405180910390f35b3415608157600080fd5b6095600480803590602001909190505060c3565b005b341560a157600080fd5b60a760ce565b6040518082815260200191505060405180910390f35b60005481565b806000819055505b50565b6000805490505b905600a165627a7a72305820d5851baab720bba574474de3d09dbeaabc674a15f4dd93b974908476542c23f00029";
 
 var simpleContract = web3.eth.contract(abi);
-var simple = simpleContract.new(42, {from:web3.eth.accounts[0], data: bytecode, gas: 300000, privateFor: ["ROAZBWtSacxXQrOe3FGAqJDyJjFePR5ce4TSIzmJ0Bc="]}, function(e, contract) {
+var simple = simpleContract.new(42, {from:web3.eth.accounts[0], data: bytecode, gas: 0x47b760, privateFor: ["ROAZBWtSacxXQrOe3FGAqJDyJjFePR5ce4TSIzmJ0Bc="]}, function(e, contract) {
 	if (e) {
 		console.log("err creating contract", e);
 	} else {