diff --git a/.github/workflows/localnet-test.yml b/.github/workflows/localnet-test.yml
index b9ac2d391..d793f6d93 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/localnet-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/localnet-test.yml
@@ -41,8 +41,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: "get localnet stats"
         env: 
+          # give the tests 5 minutes to run
           HEMI_E2E_DUMP_JSON_AFTER_MS: '300000'
         working-directory: ./e2e/monitor
+          # assert that:
+          # - we have at least 8 pop txs
         run: |
-          [[ $(go run ./... | jq '.["pop_tx_count"]') -gt 8 ]] && echo 'passing' || exit 1
+          go test ./...
 
diff --git a/e2e/monitor/main.go b/e2e/monitor/main.go
index 8a24b3db8..d6e12fdea 100644
--- a/e2e/monitor/main.go
+++ b/e2e/monitor/main.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	dataRefreshSeconds  = 5
+	dataRefreshSeconds  = 1
 	tableRefreshSeconds = 1
 )
 
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ type state struct {
 }
 
 func main() {
+	output := monitor(dumpJsonAfterMsFromEnv())
+	fmt.Println(output)
+}
+
+func monitor(dumpJsonAfterMs uint) string {
 	s := state{
 		bitcoinBlockCount: 0,
 	}
@@ -48,25 +53,28 @@ func main() {
 	go monitorPopTxs(ctx, &s, &mtx)
 	go monitorRolledUpTxs(ctx, &s, &mtx)
 
-	if dumpJsonAfterMs() == 0 {
+	if dumpJsonAfterMs == 0 {
 		go render(ctx, &s, t, &mtx)
 	}
 
-	if dumpJsonAfterMs() > 0 {
+	if dumpJsonAfterMs > 0 {
 		select {
-		case <-time.After(time.Duration(dumpJsonAfterMs()) * time.Millisecond):
+		case <-time.After(time.Duration(dumpJsonAfterMs) * time.Millisecond):
 			output := dumpJson(&mtx, &s)
-			fmt.Println(output)
+			return output
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 		}
 	} else {
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return ""
 			default:
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	return ""
 }
 
 type jsonOutput struct {
@@ -316,7 +324,7 @@ func monitorRolledUpTxs(ctx context.Context, s *state, mtx *sync.Mutex) {
 
 }
 
-func dumpJsonAfterMs() uint {
+func dumpJsonAfterMsFromEnv() uint {
 	val := os.Getenv("HEMI_E2E_DUMP_JSON_AFTER_MS")
 	if val == "" {
 		return 0
diff --git a/e2e/monitor/main_test.go b/e2e/monitor/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3e611c2d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/monitor/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"math/big"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hemilabs/heminetwork/hemi"
+)
+
+func Test_Monitor(t *testing.T) {
+	ms := 1000 * 60 * 5 // dump after 5 minutes
+	seconds := ms / 1000
+
+	output := monitor(uint(ms))
+
+	var jo jsonOutput
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(output), &jo); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	popTxsPer100Seconds := 4
+	expectedPopTxs := popTxsPer100Seconds * (seconds / 100)
+
+	t.Logf("expecting at least %d pop txs mined", expectedPopTxs)
+
+	if jo.PopTxCount < uint64(expectedPopTxs) {
+		t.Fatalf("popTxCount %d < %d", jo.PopTxCount, expectedPopTxs)
+	}
+
+	popMinerBalance := big.NewInt(0)
+	balance, ok := popMinerBalance.SetString(jo.PopMinerHemiBalance, 10)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("could not parse balance from %s", jo.PopMinerHemiBalance)
+	}
+
+	expectedPayouts := expectedPopTxs - 8
+	expectedPayoutBalance := big.NewInt(hemi.HEMIBase)
+	expectedPayoutBalance = expectedPayoutBalance.Mul(big.NewInt(int64(expectedPayouts)), expectedPayoutBalance)
+
+	t.Logf("expecting actual balance %d to be greater than %d", balance, expectedPayoutBalance)
+
+	if expectedPayoutBalance.Cmp(balance) > 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("pop miner payout balance %d < %d", expectedPayoutBalance, balance)
+	}
+}