diff --git a/node/Cargo.toml b/node/Cargo.toml
index 0abfdbfd53..33a7c7fc9b 100644
--- a/node/Cargo.toml
+++ b/node/Cargo.toml
@@ -41,9 +41,15 @@ node-data = { version = "0.1", path = "../node-data", features = ["faker"] }
 rand = "0.8"
 rand_core = "0.6"
 tempdir = "0.3"
+criterion = { version = "0.5", features = ["async_futures"] }
 
 [build-dependencies]
 rustc_tools_util = "=0.2.0"
 
 [features]
 with_telemetry = ["dep:console-subscriber"]
+
+
+[[bench]]
+name = "accept"
+harness = false
diff --git a/node/benches/accept.rs b/node/benches/accept.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c1fb165e22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/benches/accept.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+// This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+// License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+// file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+//
+// Copyright (c) DUSK NETWORK. All rights reserved.
+
+use node::chain;
+
+use criterion::async_executor::FuturesExecutor;
+use criterion::{criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
+
+use dusk_bls12_381_sign::{
+    PublicKey as BlsPublicKey, SecretKey as BlsSecretKey,
+    Signature as BlsSignature,
+};
+use dusk_bytes::Serializable;
+use dusk_consensus::user::{
+    cluster::Cluster, committee::Committee, provisioners::Provisioners,
+    sortition::Config as SortitionConfig,
+};
+use node_data::{
+    bls::PublicKey,
+    ledger::{Certificate, Signature, StepVotes},
+    message,
+};
+use rand::rngs::StdRng;
+use rand::SeedableRng;
+
+fn create_step_votes(
+    seed: Signature,
+    round: u64,
+    block_hash: [u8; 32],
+    step: u8,
+    iteration: u8,
+    provisioners: Provisioners,
+    keys: &[(PublicKey, BlsSecretKey)],
+) -> StepVotes {
+    let sortition_config =
+        SortitionConfig::new(seed, round, iteration * 3 + step, 64);
+
+    let committee = Committee::new(
+        PublicKey::default(),
+        &mut provisioners.clone(),
+        sortition_config,
+    );
+
+    let hdr = message::Header {
+        round,
+        step: step % 3,
+        block_hash,
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+    let mut signatures = vec![];
+    let mut cluster = Cluster::<PublicKey>::default();
+    for (pk, sk) in keys.iter() {
+        if let Some(weight) = committee.votes_for(pk) {
+            let sig = hdr.sign(sk, pk.inner());
+            signatures.push(BlsSignature::from_bytes(&sig).unwrap());
+            cluster.set_weight(pk, weight);
+        }
+    }
+
+    let bitset = committee.bits(&cluster);
+
+    let (first, rest) = signatures.split_first().unwrap();
+    let aggregate_signature = first.aggregate(rest).to_bytes();
+    StepVotes::new(aggregate_signature, bitset)
+}
+
+pub fn verify_block_cert(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let mut keys = vec![];
+    let mut provisioners = Provisioners::new();
+    let rng = &mut StdRng::seed_from_u64(0xbeef);
+    for _ in 0..1000 {
+        let sk = BlsSecretKey::random(rng);
+        let pk = BlsPublicKey::from(&sk);
+        let pk = PublicKey::new(pk);
+        keys.push((pk.clone(), sk));
+        provisioners.add_member_with_value(pk, 1000000000000)
+    }
+    let height = 1;
+    let seed = Signature([5; 48]);
+    let block_hash = [1; 32];
+    let curr_public_key = keys.first().unwrap().0.clone();
+    let iteration = 0;
+    let mut cert = Certificate::default();
+
+    cert.first_reduction = create_step_votes(
+        seed,
+        height,
+        block_hash,
+        1,
+        iteration,
+        provisioners.clone(),
+        &keys[..],
+    );
+    cert.second_reduction = create_step_votes(
+        seed,
+        height,
+        block_hash,
+        2,
+        iteration,
+        provisioners.clone(),
+        &keys[..],
+    );
+    c.bench_function("verify_block_cert", |f| {
+        f.to_async(FuturesExecutor).iter(|| {
+            chain::verify_block_cert(
+                seed,
+                &provisioners,
+                &curr_public_key,
+                block_hash,
+                height,
+                &cert,
+                iteration,
+            )
+        })
+    });
+}
+
+criterion_group!(benches, verify_block_cert);
+criterion_main!(benches);
diff --git a/node/src/chain.rs b/node/src/chain.rs
index e8d376657e..e443916936 100644
--- a/node/src/chain.rs
+++ b/node/src/chain.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ use self::acceptor::{Acceptor, RevertTarget};
 use self::consensus::Task;
 use self::fsm::SimpleFSM;
 
+pub use acceptor::verify_block_cert;
+
 const TOPICS: &[u8] = &[
     Topics::Block as u8,
     Topics::NewBlock as u8,
diff --git a/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs b/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs
index 3a65769500..d224433d5e 100644
--- a/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs
+++ b/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn verify_block_header<DB: database::DB>(
     .await
 }
 
-async fn verify_block_cert(
+pub async fn verify_block_cert(
     curr_seed: Signature,
     curr_eligible_provisioners: &Provisioners,
     curr_public_key: &node_data::bls::PublicKey,