diff --git a/xcat/tests/regtest.sh b/xcat/tests/regtest.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d100a08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xcat/tests/regtest.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# load code from regtestlib
+. regtestlib.sh
+
+for arg in $@
+do
+	case $arg in
+		  -z*|--zcashsrc*)
+			ZCASHSRC="$2"
+			shift
+      shift
+			;;
+      -b*|--bitcoinsrc*)
+      BITCOINSRC="$2"
+      shift
+      shift
+      ;;
+	esac
+done
+
+if [ "${ZCASHSRC}" != "" ]; then echo "Zcash source directory: ${ZCASHSRC}"; fi
+if [ "${BITCOINSRC}" != "" ]; then echo "Bitcoin source directory: ${BITCOINSRC}"; fi
+
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+start_bitcoin
+start_zcash
+
+echo "blockchains activated! sleeping foreverish..."
+sleep 10000000
diff --git a/xcat/tests/regtestlib.sh b/xcat/tests/regtestlib.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6370378
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xcat/tests/regtestlib.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+export BITCOINDIR=$(pwd)/bitcoindir
+ZCASHDIR=$(pwd)/zcashdir
+
+echo $BITCOINDIR
+echo $ZCASHDIR
+
+fail() {
+	echo $@
+	exit 1
+}
+
+bitcoincli() {
+	if [ "${BITCOINSRC}" != "" ]; then
+			$BITCOINSRC/bitcoin-cli -datadir="$BITCOINDIR" -regtest -rpcserialversion=0 -rpcuser=user -rpcpassword=password $@
+		else
+			bitcoin-cli -datadir="$BITCOINDIR" -regtest -rpcserialversion=0 -rpcuser=user -rpcpassword=password $@
+	fi
+}
+
+bdaemon() {
+	if [ "${BITCOINSRC}" != "" ]; then
+			echo "Bitcoin source directory specified"
+			$BITCOINSRC/bitcoind -datadir="$BITCOINDIR" -rpcserialversion=0 -regtest -rpcuser=user -rpcpassword=password  &
+		else
+			bitcoind -datadir="$BITCOINDIR" -rpcserialversion=0 -regtest -rpcuser=user -rpcpassword=password  &
+	fi
+}
+
+start_bitcoin() {
+	echo "Starting bitcoin..."
+	mkdir "$BITCOINDIR"
+	bdaemon
+	echo $! > bitcoin_pid
+	sleep 5
+	for i in `seq 101`
+	do
+		printf "bitcoin block generate %d\r" $i
+		bitcoincli generate 1 > /dev/null
+	done
+	echo ""
+}
+
+stop_bitcoin() {
+	if [ -e bitcoin_pid ]; then kill $(cat bitcoin_pid); fi
+	rm -f bitcoin_pid
+	rm -rf "$BITCOINDIR"
+}
+
+zcashcli() {
+	if [ "${ZCASHSRC}" != "" ]; then
+			$ZCASHSRC/zcash-cli -datadir="$ZCASHDIR" -regtest $@
+		else
+			zcash-cli -datadir="$ZCASHDIR" -regtest $@
+	fi
+}
+
+zdaemon(){
+	if [ "${ZCASHSRC}" != "" ]; then
+			$ZCASHSRC/zcashd -datadir="$ZCASHDIR" -regtest -listen=0 &
+		else
+			zcashd -datadir="$ZCASHDIR" -regtest -listen=0 &
+	fi
+}
+
+start_zcash() {
+	echo "Starting zcash..."
+	mkdir "$ZCASHDIR"
+	echo "rpcuser=user" > "$ZCASHDIR/zcash.conf"
+	echo "rpcpassword=password" >> "$ZCASHDIR/zcash.conf"
+	zdaemon
+	echo $! > zcash_pid
+	sleep 5
+	for i in `seq 101`
+	do
+		printf "zcash block generate %d\r" $i
+		zcashcli generate 1 > /dev/null
+	done
+	echo ""
+}
+
+stop_zcash() {
+	if [ -e zcash_pid ]; then kill $(cat zcash_pid); fi
+	rm -f zcash_pid
+	rm -rf "$ZCASHDIR"
+}
+
+cleanup() {
+	stop_bitcoin
+	stop_zcash
+}