diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c41d15b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[package]
+name = "lykin"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+
+[dependencies]
+async-std = "1.10"
+bincode = "1.3"
+env_logger = "0.9"
+golgi = { git = "https://git.coopcloud.tech/golgi-ssb/golgi.git" }
+log = "0.4"
+rocket = "0.5.0-rc.1"
+rocket_dyn_templates = { version = "0.1.0-rc.1", features = ["tera"] }
+sled = "0.34"
diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a75ce4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// Key-value store using sled.
+
+use std::{
+    fmt,
+    fmt::{Display, Formatter},
+    path::Path,
+};
+
+use bincode::Options;
+use log::{debug, info, warn};
+use sled::{Db, IVec, Result, Tree};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+struct IVecString {
+    pub bytes: IVec,
+    pub string: String,
+}
+
+impl Display for IVecString {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "{}", self.string)
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<IVec> for IVecString {
+    fn from(bytes: IVec) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            string: String::from_utf8_lossy(&bytes).into_owned(),
+            bytes,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct Database {
+    /// Stores the sled database instance.
+    db: Db,
+    /// Stores the public keys of all the feeds we are subscribed to.
+    feed_tree: Tree,
+    /// Stores the messages (content and metadata) for all the feeds we are subscribed to.
+    message_tree: Tree,
+}
+
+impl Database {
+    // TODO: return Result<Self> and use try operators
+    // implement simple custom error type
+    pub fn init(path: &Path) -> Self {
+        // Open the database at the given path.
+        // The database will be created if it does not yet exist.
+        // This code will panic if an IO error is encountered.
+        info!("initialising the sled database");
+        let db = sled::open(path).expect("failed to open database");
+        debug!("opening the 'feeds' database tree");
+        let feed_tree = db
+            .open_tree("feeds")
+            .expect("failed to open database feeds tree");
+        debug!("opening the 'messages' database tree");
+        let message_tree = db
+            .open_tree("messages")
+            .expect("failed to open database messages tree");
+
+        Database {
+            db,
+            feed_tree,
+            message_tree,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn add_feed(&self, public_key: &str) -> Result<Option<IVec>> {
+        self.feed_tree.insert(&public_key, vec![0])
+    }
+
+    pub fn remove_feed(&self, public_key: &str) -> Result<Option<IVec>> {
+        self.feed_tree.remove(&public_key)
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_feeds(&self) -> Vec<String> {
+        self.feed_tree
+            .iter()
+            .keys()
+            .map(|bytes| IVecString::from(bytes.unwrap()))
+            .map(|ivec_string| ivec_string.string)
+            .collect()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d75bcd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+mod db;
+mod sbot;
+mod utils;
+
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use log::{debug, info, warn};
+use rocket::{form::Form, get, launch, post, response::Redirect, routes, uri, FromForm, State};
+use rocket_dyn_templates::{tera::Context, Template};
+
+use crate::db::Database;
+
+#[derive(FromForm)]
+struct Peer {
+    public_key: String,
+}
+
+#[get("/")]
+fn index(db: &State<Database>) -> Template {
+    let mut context = Context::new();
+    let feeds = db.get_feeds();
+    context.insert("feeds", &feeds);
+
+    Template::render("index", &context.into_json())
+}
+
+#[post("/subscribe", data = "<peer>")]
+fn subscribe_form(db: &State<Database>, peer: Form<Peer>) -> Redirect {
+    // validate the public key
+    if let Ok(_) = utils::validate_public_key(&peer.public_key) {
+        debug!("public key {} is valid", &peer.public_key);
+        match db.add_feed(&peer.public_key) {
+            Ok(_) => {
+                debug!("added {} to feed tree in database", &peer.public_key);
+                // check if we already follow the peer
+                //   - if not, follow the peer and create a tree for the peer
+            }
+            Err(_e) => warn!(
+                "failed to add {} to feed tree in database",
+                &peer.public_key
+            ),
+        }
+    } else {
+        warn!("{} is invalid", &peer.public_key);
+    }
+
+    Redirect::to(uri!(index))
+}
+
+#[post("/unsubscribe", data = "<peer>")]
+fn unsubscribe_form(db: &State<Database>, peer: Form<Peer>) -> Redirect {
+    // validate the public key
+    match utils::validate_public_key(&peer.public_key) {
+        Ok(_) => {
+            debug!("public key {} is valid", &peer.public_key);
+            match db.remove_feed(&peer.public_key) {
+                Ok(_) => debug!("removed {} from feed tree in database", &peer.public_key),
+                Err(_e) => warn!(
+                    "failed to remove {} from feed tree in database",
+                    &peer.public_key
+                ),
+            }
+        }
+        Err(e) => warn!("{} is invalid: {}", &peer.public_key, e),
+    }
+
+    Redirect::to(uri!(index))
+}
+
+#[launch]
+fn rocket() -> _ {
+    env_logger::init();
+
+    info!("launching the web server");
+    rocket::build()
+        .manage(Database::init(Path::new("lykin")))
+        .mount("/", routes![index, subscribe_form, unsubscribe_form])
+        .attach(Template::fairing())
+}
diff --git a/src/sbot.rs b/src/sbot.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc83b47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sbot.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Scuttlebutt functionality.
+
+use async_std::task;
+use golgi::Sbot;
+
+/// Follow a peer.
+pub fn follow_peer(public_key: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
+    task::block_on(async {
+        let mut sbot_client = Sbot::init(None, None).await.map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+
+        match sbot_client.follow(public_key).await {
+            Ok(_) => Ok("Followed peer".to_string()),
+            Err(e) => Err(format!("Failed to follow peer: {}", e)),
+        }
+    })
+}
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f891dd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/// Ensure that the given public key is a valid ed25519 key.
+///
+/// Return an error string if the key is invalid.
+pub fn validate_public_key(public_key: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    // ensure the id starts with the correct sigil link
+    if !public_key.starts_with('@') {
+        return Err("expected '@' sigil as first character".to_string());
+    }
+
+    // find the dot index denoting the start of the algorithm definition tag
+    let dot_index = match public_key.rfind('.') {
+        Some(index) => index,
+        None => return Err("no dot index was found".to_string()),
+    };
+
+    // check hashing algorithm (must end with ".ed25519")
+    if !&public_key.ends_with(".ed25519") {
+        return Err("hashing algorithm must be ed25519".to_string());
+    }
+
+    // obtain the base64 portion (substring) of the public key
+    let base64_str = &public_key[1..dot_index];
+
+    // length of a base64 encoded ed25519 public key
+    if base64_str.len() != 44 {
+        return Err("base64 data length is incorrect".to_string());
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/templates/index.html.tera b/templates/index.html.tera
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76aa1c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/index.html.tera
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<!doctype html>
+
+<html lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <meta charset="utf-8">
+    <title>lykin</title>
+    <meta name="description" content="lykin: an SSB tutorial application">
+    <meta name="author" content="glyph">
+    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
+  </head>
+  <body>
+    <h1>lykin</h1>
+    <form action="/subscribe" method="post" style="width: 500px;">
+      <fieldset>
+        <legend>Subscription Management</legend>
+	<input type="text" id="public_key" name="public_key" size=53 maxlength=53><br>
+	<label for="public_key">Public Key</label><br>
+	<br>
+        <input type="submit" value="Subscribe">
+        <input type="submit" value="Unsubscribe" formaction="/unsubscribe">
+      </fieldset>
+    </form>
+    <div>
+      <h2>Subscriptions</h2>
+      <ul>
+      {% for feed in feeds -%}
+        <li>{{ feed }}</li>
+      {%- endfor %}
+      </ul>
+    </div>
+  </body>
+</html>