diff --git a/.github/workflows/node-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/node-ci.yml
index 3bbb043e5..22bdee847 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/node-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/node-ci.yml
@@ -50,24 +50,43 @@ jobs:
         with:
           go-version: 1.17
 
-      # There is an issue with the latest starport, especially 0.18 version
-      - name: Download and install starport
-        run: wget -qO- https://github.com/tendermint/starport/releases/download/v0.18.6/starport_0.18.6_linux_amd64.tar.gz | tar xvz -C /tmp/ && sudo cp /tmp/starport /usr/bin
+      - name: Get go protoc compiler plugins
+        env:
+          GOLANG_PROTOBUF_VERSION: 1.3.5
+          GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION: 1.3.2
+          GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION: 1.14.7
+        run: |
+          # Taken from: tendermintdev/sdk-proto-gen:v0.2
+          go get \
+            github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go@v${GOLANG_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogo@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogofast@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogofaster@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway@v${GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION} \
+            github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-swagger@v${GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION} \
+            github.com/regen-network/cosmos-proto/protoc-gen-gocosmos@latest
+
+      - name: Install buf
+        env:
+          PREFIX: "/usr/local"
+          VERSION: "1.0.0-rc8"
+        run: |
+          curl -sSL "https://github.com/bufbuild/buf/releases/download/v${VERSION}/buf-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m).tar.gz" | \
+          sudo tar -xvzf - -C "${PREFIX}" --strip-components 1
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          fetch-depth: 0 # FIXME: Starport requires full repository
+          fetch-depth: 0 # Required to fetch version
 
       - name: Build
         run: |
-          starport chain build --release
-          tar xzvf release/cheqd-node_linux_amd64.tar.gz
+          make proto-gen build
 
       - name: Store artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
         with:
           name: cheqd-noded
-          path: cheqd-noded
+          path: build/cheqd-noded
 
   build-deb-package:
     name: Build deb package
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 98f1a3af2..ce8d7188e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -39,24 +39,43 @@ jobs:
         with:
           go-version: 1.17
 
-      # There is an issue with the latest starport, especially 0.18 version
-      - name: Download and install starport
-        run: wget -qO- https://github.com/tendermint/starport/releases/download/v0.18.6/starport_0.18.6_linux_amd64.tar.gz | tar xvz -C /tmp/ && sudo cp /tmp/starport /usr/bin
+      - name: Get go protoc compiler plugins
+        env:
+          GOLANG_PROTOBUF_VERSION: 1.3.5
+          GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION: 1.3.2
+          GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION: 1.14.7
+        run: |
+          # Taken from: tendermintdev/sdk-proto-gen:v0.2
+          go get \
+            github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go@v${GOLANG_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogo@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogofast@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogofaster@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+            github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway@v${GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION} \
+            github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-swagger@v${GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION} \
+            github.com/regen-network/cosmos-proto/protoc-gen-gocosmos@latest
+
+      - name: Install buf
+        env:
+          PREFIX: "/usr/local"
+          VERSION: "1.0.0-rc8"
+        run: |
+          curl -sSL "https://github.com/bufbuild/buf/releases/download/v${VERSION}/buf-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m).tar.gz" | \
+          sudo tar -xvzf - -C "${PREFIX}" --strip-components 1
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          fetch-depth: 0 # FIXME: Starport requires full repository
+          fetch-depth: 0 # Required to fetch version
 
       - name: Build
         run: |
-          starport chain build --release
-          tar xzvf release/cheqd-node_linux_amd64.tar.gz
+          make proto-gen build
 
       - name: Store artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
         with:
           name: cheqd-noded
-          path: cheqd-noded
+          path: build/cheqd-noded
 
   build-deb-package:
     name: Build deb package
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c325ec45a..e9ced95d6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -41,3 +41,4 @@ secret.yml
 # Python
 .pytest_cache
 **/__pycache__
+.vscode-upload.json
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d67398b27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+export VERSION := $(shell echo $(shell git describe --always --match "v*") | sed 's/^v//')
+export TMVERSION := $(shell go list -m github.com/tendermint/tendermint | sed 's:.* ::')
+export COMMIT := $(shell git log -1 --format='%H')
+
+NAME ?= cheqd-node
+APPNAME ?= $(NAME)d
+LEDGER_ENABLED ?= true
+
+BINDIR ?= $(GOPATH)/bin
+BUILDDIR ?= $(CURDIR)/build
+
+export GO111MODULE = on
+
+
+### Process build tags
+build_tags = netgo
+ifeq ($(LEDGER_ENABLED),true)
+  ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
+    $(error Windows OS is not supported currently, exiting)
+  else
+    UNAME_S = $(shell uname -s)
+    ifeq ($(UNAME_S),OpenBSD)
+      $(warning OpenBSD detected, disabling ledger support (https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/issues/1988))
+    else
+      GCC = $(shell command -v gcc 2> /dev/null)
+      ifeq ($(GCC),)
+        $(error gcc not installed for ledger support, please install or set LEDGER_ENABLED=false)
+      else
+        build_tags += ledger
+      endif
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+
+ifeq (cleveldb,$(findstring cleveldb,$(COSMOS_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
+  build_tags += gcc
+endif
+
+whitespace :=
+whitespace += $(whitespace)
+comma := ,
+build_tags_comma_sep := $(subst $(whitespace),$(comma),$(build_tags))
+
+
+### Process linker flags
+ldflags = -X github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version.Name=$(NAME)\
+		  -X github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version.AppName=$(APPNAME) \
+		  -X github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version.Version=$(VERSION) \
+		  -X github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version.Commit=$(COMMIT) \
+		  -X "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version.BuildTags=$(build_tags_comma_sep)" \
+			-X github.com/tendermint/tendermint/version.TMCoreSemVer=$(TMVERSION)
+
+
+# DB backend selection
+ifeq (cleveldb,$(findstring cleveldb,$(COSMOS_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
+  ldflags += -X github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types.DBBackend=cleveldb
+endif
+
+ifeq (,$(findstring nostrip,$(COSMOS_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
+  ldflags += -w -s
+endif
+
+ldflags += $(LDFLAGS)
+ldflags := $(strip $(ldflags))
+
+build_tags += $(BUILD_TAGS)
+build_tags := $(strip $(build_tags))
+
+
+### Resulting build flags
+BUILD_FLAGS := -tags "$(build_tags)" -ldflags '$(ldflags)'
+
+# Check for nostrip option
+ifeq (,$(findstring nostrip,$(COSMOS_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
+  BUILD_FLAGS += -trimpath
+endif
+
+# Check for debug option
+ifeq (debug,$(findstring debug,$(COSMOS_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
+  BUILD_FLAGS += -gcflags "all=-N -l"
+endif
+
+
+###############################################################################
+###                                  Build                                  ###
+###############################################################################
+
+
+all: install
+
+build: go.sum $(BUILDDIR)
+	go build -mod=readonly $(BUILD_FLAGS) -o $(BUILDDIR)/cheqd-noded ./cmd/cheqd-noded
+
+install: go.sum
+	go install -mod=readonly $(BUILD_FLAGS) ./cmd/cheqd-noded
+
+$(BUILDDIR):
+	mkdir -p $(BUILDDIR)
+
+clean:
+	rm -rf \
+    $(BUILDDIR)/ \
+    artifacts/ \
+    tmp-swagger-gen/
+
+.PHONY: all clean build install
+
+go.sum: go.mod
+	echo "Ensure dependencies have not been modified ..." >&2
+	go mod verify
+	go mod tidy
+
+
+###############################################################################
+###                                  Protobuf                               ###
+###############################################################################
+
+proto-gen:
+	bash scripts/protocgen.sh
diff --git a/docker/cheqd_node/Dockerfile b/docker/cheqd_node/Dockerfile
index 1bd3bba03..ee99c500e 100644
--- a/docker/cheqd_node/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/cheqd_node/Dockerfile
@@ -4,33 +4,48 @@ FROM golang:buster as builder
 
 RUN apt-get update && export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
     && apt-get -y install --no-install-recommends \
-    # Common
     curl \
-    # Protoc
-    protobuf-compiler \
     libprotobuf-dev \
     wget
 
-# Starport
-# RUN curl https://get.starport.network/starport! | bash
-# There is an issue with the latest starport, especially 0.18 version
-RUN wget -qO- https://github.com/tendermint/starport/releases/download/v0.18.6/starport_0.18.6_linux_amd64.tar.gz | tar xvz -C /tmp/ && cp /tmp/starport /usr/bin
+
+# Get go protoc compiler plugins. Taken from: tendermintdev/sdk-proto-gen:v0.2
+ENV GOLANG_PROTOBUF_VERSION=1.3.5 \
+    GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION=1.3.2 \
+    GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION=1.14.7
+
+RUN go get \
+    github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go@v${GOLANG_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+    github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogo@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+    github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogofast@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+    github.com/gogo/protobuf/protoc-gen-gogofaster@v${GOGO_PROTOBUF_VERSION} \
+    github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-grpc-gateway@v${GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION} \
+    github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/protoc-gen-swagger@v${GRPC_GATEWAY_VERSION} \
+    github.com/regen-network/cosmos-proto/protoc-gen-gocosmos@latest
+
+
+# Install buf
+RUN PREFIX="/usr/local" && \
+    VERSION="1.0.0-rc8" && \
+    curl -sSL "https://github.com/bufbuild/buf/releases/download/v${VERSION}/buf-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m).tar.gz" | \
+    tar -xvzf - -C "${PREFIX}" --strip-components 1
+
 
 # App
 WORKDIR /app
 
 COPY app ./app
 COPY cmd ./cmd
+COPY scripts ./scripts
 COPY proto ./proto
-COPY vue ./vue
 COPY x ./x
 COPY go.mod .
 COPY go.sum .
-# Required by starport
+COPY Makefile .
+# Required to fetch version
 COPY .git .
 
-RUN starport chain build --release
-RUN tar xzvf release/cheqd-node_linux_amd64.tar.gz
+RUN make proto-gen build
 
 
 #####  Run container  #####
@@ -38,7 +53,7 @@ RUN tar xzvf release/cheqd-node_linux_amd64.tar.gz
 FROM ubuntu:focal
 
 # Node binary
-COPY --from=builder /app/cheqd-noded /bin
+COPY --from=builder /app/build/cheqd-noded /bin
 
 # Runner script
 COPY docker/cheqd_node/node-runner.sh /bin/node-runner
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 9985f3ae4..4e2d872c5 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ go 1.17
 
 require (
 	github.com/btcsuite/btcutil v1.0.3-0.20201208143702-a53e38424cce
-	github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk v0.44.4
+	github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk v0.44.5
 	github.com/cosmos/ibc-go v1.2.3
 	github.com/gogo/protobuf v1.3.3
 	github.com/golang/protobuf v1.5.2
diff --git a/scripts/protocgen.sh b/scripts/protocgen.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cadf77b2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/protocgen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euox pipefail
+
+# Get protoc executions
+go get github.com/regen-network/cosmos-proto/protoc-gen-gocosmos 2>/dev/null
+
+# Get cosmos sdk from github
+go get github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk 2>/dev/null
+
+# Get the path of the cosmos-sdk repo from go/pkg/mod
+cosmos_sdk_dir=$(go list -f '{{ .Dir }}' -m github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk)
+
+proto_dirs=$(find . -path ./third_party -prune -o -name '*.proto' -print0 | xargs -0 -n1 dirname | sort | uniq)
+
+for dir in $proto_dirs; do
+  # Generate protobuf bind
+  buf protoc \
+  -I "proto" \
+  -I "$cosmos_sdk_dir/third_party/proto" \
+  -I "$cosmos_sdk_dir/proto" \
+  --gocosmos_out=plugins=interfacetype+grpc,\
+Mgoogle/protobuf/any.proto=github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec/types:. \
+  $(find "${dir}" -name '*.proto')
+
+  # Generate grpc gateway
+  buf protoc \
+  -I "proto" \
+  -I "$cosmos_sdk_dir/third_party/proto" \
+  -I "$cosmos_sdk_dir/proto" \
+  --grpc-gateway_out=logtostderr=true:. \
+  $(find "${dir}" -maxdepth 1 -name '*.proto')
+done
+
+cp -r ./github.com/cheqd/cheqd-node/* ./
+rm -rf ./github.com