diff --git a/.github/actions/check-balance-with-polling/action.yml b/.github/actions/check-balance-with-polling/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..53a1be2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/check-balance-with-polling/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+name: 'Check Token Balance With Polling'
+
+inputs:
+  url:
+    description: 'API endpoint for fetching a balance for a wallet'
+    required: true
+  address:
+    description: 'Wallet address to check the balance'
+    required: true
+  denom:
+    description: 'Denom whose amount has to be extracted from the JSON response'
+    required: true
+  file:
+    description: 'Name of the file to place extracted amount of denom'
+    required: true
+  comparison_type:
+    description: 'Type of comparison to perform ("greater" or "lesser")'
+    required: true
+    default: 'greater'
+  polling_seconds:
+    description: 'Polling time in seconds'
+    required: true
+
+runs:
+  using: 'composite'
+  steps:
+    - name: Check token balance and validate
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        timeout ${{ inputs.polling_seconds }} bash -c "\
+          OLD_BALANCE=\$(cat ${{ inputs.file }})
+          NEW_BALANCE=\$(curl -s ${{ inputs.url }}/${{ inputs.address }} | jq -r --arg denom '${{ inputs.denom }}' '([.balances[] | select(.denom == \$denom) | .amount | tonumber] | if length == 0 then 0 else .[] end)')
+          
+          COMPARISON_OP='-gt'
+          if [[ ${{ inputs.comparison_type }} == 'lesser' ]]; then
+              COMPARISON_OP='-lt'  
+          fi
+          
+          while true; do
+            if [[ \$COMPARISON_OP == '-gt' && \$NEW_BALANCE -gt \$OLD_BALANCE ]] || [[ \$COMPARISON_OP == '-lt' && \$NEW_BALANCE -lt \$OLD_BALANCE ]]; then
+              break
+            fi
+            echo \"Old Balance: \$OLD_BALANCE\"
+            echo \"New Balance: \$NEW_BALANCE\"
+            sleep 1  # consider using a different input or a fixed short delay for polling
+            NEW_BALANCE=\$(curl -s ${{ inputs.url }}/${{ inputs.address }} | jq -r --arg denom '${{ inputs.denom }}' '([.balances[] | select(.denom == \$denom) | .amount | tonumber] | if length == 0 then 0 else .[] end)')
+          done"
diff --git a/.github/actions/store-balances/action.yml b/.github/actions/store-balances/action.yml
index c490c75..6afb531 100644
--- a/.github/actions/store-balances/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/store-balances/action.yml
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
       run: |
         curl "${{ inputs.url }}/${{ inputs.address }}" | 
-        jq -r --arg denom "${{ inputs.denom }}" '.balances[] | select(.denom == $denom) | .amount | tonumber' > "${{ inputs.file }}"
+        jq -r --arg denom "${{ inputs.denom }}" '([.balances[] | select(.denom == $denom) | .amount | tonumber] | if length == 0 then 0 else .[] end)' > "${{ inputs.file }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/emerynet-localchain-test.yml b/.github/workflows/emerynet-localchain-test.yml
index 59f3c93..105ff68 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/emerynet-localchain-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/emerynet-localchain-test.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ jobs:
 
     env:
       EMERYNET_BALANCE_FILE: emerynet_balance.txt
+      LOCAL_BALANCE_FILE: local_balance.txt
       EMERYNET_CHAIN_ID: agoric-emerynet-8
       LOCAL_CHAIN_ID: agoric-local
       WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET: agoric10emrzln03exuc9uv98mjwmp95735mjm6k2n9xm
@@ -60,11 +61,19 @@ jobs:
             echo 'waiting for relayer to start...'
           done"
 
-      - name: Store Emerynet Wallet Balance in a file
+      - name: Store Local Wallet Balance in a file
         uses: ./.github/actions/store-balances
         with:
-          url: https://emerynet.api.agoric.net/cosmos/bank/v1beta1/balances
+          url: ${{ env.LOCAL_API_URL }}
           address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_LOCAL }}
+          denom: 'ibc/49C630713B2AB60653F76C0C58D43C2A64956803B4D422CACB6DD4AD016ED846'
+          file: ${{ env.LOCAL_BALANCE_FILE }}
+
+      - name: Store Emerynet Wallet Balance in a file
+        uses: ./.github/actions/store-balances
+        with:
+          url: ${{ env.EMERYNET_API_URL }}
+          address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET }}
           denom: ubld
           file: ${{ env.EMERYNET_BALANCE_FILE }}
 
@@ -101,32 +110,38 @@ jobs:
           sleep 5
 
       - name: Check Token Balance on Emerynet after transfer
-        run: |
-          NEW_EMERYNET_BALANCE=$(curl https://emerynet.api.agoric.net/cosmos/bank/v1beta1/balances/$WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET | 
-          jq -r '.balances[] | select(.denom == "ubld") | .amount | tonumber')
-          ORIGINAL_EMERYNET_BALANCE=$(cat $EMERYNET_BALANCE_FILE)
-          BALANCE_DIFFERENCE=$((ORIGINAL_EMERYNET_BALANCE - NEW_EMERYNET_BALANCE))
-          if [ "$BALANCE_DIFFERENCE" -ne 100 ]; then
-            echo "Token transfer discrepancy detected: Expected 100, found $BALANCE_DIFFERENCE."
-            exit 1
-          else
-            echo "Token transfer validated: Balance difference is exactly 100ubld."
-          fi
+        uses: ./.github/actions/check-balance-with-polling
+        with:
+          url: ${{ env.EMERYNET_API_URL }}
+          address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET }}
+          denom: ubld
+          file: ${{ env.EMERYNET_BALANCE_FILE }}
+          comparison_type: lesser
+          polling_seconds: 120
 
       - name: Check Token Balance on Local Chain after transfer
-        uses: ./.github/actions/check-balances
+        uses: ./.github/actions/check-balance-with-polling
         with:
-          container: ${{ env.LOCAL_CHAIN_ID }}
+          url: ${{ env.LOCAL_API_URL }}
           address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_LOCAL }}
-          expected_amount: ${{ env.TRANSFER_AMOUNT_FROM_EMERYNET }}
-          expected_denom: 'ibc/49C630713B2AB60653F76C0C58D43C2A64956803B4D422CACB6DD4AD016ED846'
-          expected_length: '2'
+          denom: 'ibc/49C630713B2AB60653F76C0C58D43C2A64956803B4D422CACB6DD4AD016ED846'
+          file: ${{ env.LOCAL_BALANCE_FILE }}
+          comparison_type: greater
+          polling_seconds: 120
 
-      - name: Store Emerynet Wallet Balance in a file
+      - name: Store Local Wallet Balance in a file
         uses: ./.github/actions/store-balances
         with:
-          url: https://emerynet.api.agoric.net/cosmos/bank/v1beta1/balances
+          url: ${{ env.LOCAL_API_URL }}
           address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_LOCAL }}
+          denom: 'ibc/49C630713B2AB60653F76C0C58D43C2A64956803B4D422CACB6DD4AD016ED846'
+          file: ${{ env.LOCAL_BALANCE_FILE }}
+
+      - name: Store Emerynet Wallet Balance in a file
+        uses: ./.github/actions/store-balances
+        with:
+          url: ${{ env.EMERYNET_API_URL }}
+          address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET }}
           denom: ubld
           file: ${{ env.EMERYNET_BALANCE_FILE }}
 
@@ -137,22 +152,21 @@ jobs:
           sleep 5
 
       - name: Check Token Balance on Local Chain after transfer
-        uses: ./.github/actions/check-balances
+        uses: ./.github/actions/check-balance-with-polling
         with:
-          container: ${{ env.LOCAL_CHAIN_ID }}
+          url: ${{ env.LOCAL_API_URL }}
           address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_LOCAL }}
-          expected_amount: '50'
-          expected_denom: 'ibc/49C630713B2AB60653F76C0C58D43C2A64956803B4D422CACB6DD4AD016ED846'
-          expected_length: '2'
+          denom: 'ibc/49C630713B2AB60653F76C0C58D43C2A64956803B4D422CACB6DD4AD016ED846'
+          file: ${{ env.LOCAL_BALANCE_FILE }}
+          comparison_type: lesser
+          polling_seconds: 120
 
       - name: Check Token Balance on Emerynet after transfer
-        run: |
-          timeout 120 bash -c "\
-          OLD_BALANCE=\$(cat \"\$EMERYNET_BALANCE_FILE\")
-          NEW_BALANCE=\$(curl -s https://emerynet.api.agoric.net/cosmos/bank/v1beta1/balances/\"\$WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET\" | jq -r '.balances[] | select(.denom == \"ubld\") | .amount')
-          until [ \"\$NEW_BALANCE\" -gt \"\$OLD_BALANCE\" ]; do
-              NEW_BALANCE=\$(curl -s https://emerynet.api.agoric.net/cosmos/bank/v1beta1/balances/\"\$WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET\" | jq -r '.balances[] | select(.denom == \"ubld\") | .amount')
-              echo \"Old Balance: \$OLD_BALANCE\"
-              echo \"New Balance: \$NEW_BALANCE\"
-          done
-          "
+        uses: ./.github/actions/check-balance-with-polling
+        with:
+          url: ${{ env.EMERYNET_API_URL }}
+          address: ${{ env.WALLET_ADDRESS_EMERYNET }}
+          denom: ubld
+          file: ${{ env.EMERYNET_BALANCE_FILE }}
+          comparison_type: greater
+          polling_seconds: 120