diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index fb4e362e..d4eb8274 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ const speechPassport = require('./server/speechPassport');
 const {
   details: { port: PORT },
   auth: { sessionKey },
+  startup: {
+    performChecks,
+    performUpdates,
+  },
 } = require('@config/siteConfig');
 
 function Server () {
@@ -97,31 +101,70 @@ function Server () {
     /* create server */
     this.server = http.Server(this.app);
   };
+  this.startServerListening = () => {
+    logger.info(`Starting server on ${PORT}...`);
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      this.server.listen(PORT, () => {
+        logger.info(`Server is listening on PORT ${PORT}`);
+        resolve();
+      })
+    });
+  };
   this.syncDatabase = () => {
+    logger.info(`Syncing database...`);
     return createDatabaseIfNotExists()
       .then(() => {
         db.sequelize.sync();
       })
   };
+  this.performChecks = () => {
+    if (!performChecks) {
+      return;
+    }
+    logger.info(`Performing checks...`);
+    return Promise.all([
+      getWalletBalance(),
+    ])
+      .then(([walletBalance]) => {
+        logger.info('Starting LBC balance:', walletBalance);
+      })
+  };
+  this.performUpdates = () => {
+    if (!performUpdates) {
+      return;
+    }
+    logger.info(`Peforming updates...`);
+    return Promise.all([
+      [],
+      db.Tor.refreshTable(),
+    ])
+      .then(([updatedBlockedList, updatedTorList]) => {
+        logger.info('Blocked list updated, length:', updatedBlockedList.length);
+        logger.info('Tor list updated, length:', updatedTorList.length);
+      })
+  };
   this.start = () => {
     this.initialize();
     this.createApp();
     this.createServer();
-    /* start the server */
-    logger.info('getting LBC balance & syncing database...');
-    Promise.all([
-      this.syncDatabase(),
-      getWalletBalance(),
-    ])
-      .then(([syncResult, walletBalance]) => {
-        logger.info('starting LBC balance:', walletBalance);
-        return this.server.listen(PORT, () => {
-          logger.info(`Server is listening on PORT ${PORT}`);
-        })
+    this.syncDatabase()
+      .then(() => {
+        return this.startServerListening();
+      })
+      .then(() => {
+        return Promise.all([
+          this.performChecks(),
+          this.performUpdates(),
+        ])
+      })
+      .then(() => {
+        logger.info('Spee.ch startup is complete');
       })
       .catch(error => {
         if (error.code === 'ECONNREFUSED') {
           return logger.error('Connection refused.  The daemon may not be running.')
+        } else if (error.code === 'EADDRINUSE') {
+          return logger.error('Server could not start listening.  The port is already in use.');
         } else if (error.message) {
           logger.error(error.message);
         }
diff --git a/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/index.js b/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/index.js
index 7d42106a..b429e797 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/index.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/claim/publish/index.js
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ const authenticateUser = require('./authentication.js');
 
 */
 
-const claimPublish = ({ body, files, headers, ip, originalUrl, user }, res) => {
+const claimPublish = ({ body, files, headers, ip, originalUrl, user, tor }, res) => {
   // logging
-  logger.info('PUBLISH REQUEST:', {
+  logger.info('Publish request:', {
     ip,
     headers,
     body,
diff --git a/server/controllers/api/tor/index.js b/server/controllers/api/tor/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..df4c5831
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/controllers/api/tor/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+const logger = require('winston');
+const db = require('../../../models');
+
+/*
+
+  Route to update and return tor exit nodes that can connect to this ip address
+
+*/
+
+const getTorList = (req, res) => {
+  db.Tor.refreshTable()
+    .then( result => {
+      logger.debug('number of records', result.length);
+      res.status(200).json(result);
+    })
+    .catch((error) => {
+      logger.error(error);
+      res.status(500).json({
+        success: false,
+        error,
+      })
+    });
+};
+
+module.exports = getTorList;
diff --git a/server/routes/utils/multipartMiddleware.js b/server/middleware/multipartMiddleware.js
similarity index 100%
rename from server/routes/utils/multipartMiddleware.js
rename to server/middleware/multipartMiddleware.js
diff --git a/server/middleware/torCheckMiddleware.js b/server/middleware/torCheckMiddleware.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b410331
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/middleware/torCheckMiddleware.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+const logger = require('winston');
+const db = require('../models');
+
+const torCheck = (req, res, next) => {
+  const { ip } = req;
+  logger.debug(`tor check for: ${ip}`);
+  return db.Tor.findAll(
+    {
+      where: {
+        address: ip,
+      },
+      raw: true,
+    })
+    .then(result => {
+      logger.debug('tor check results:', result);
+      if (result.length >= 1) {
+        logger.info('Tor request blocked:', ip);
+        const failureResponse = {
+          success: false,
+          message: 'Unfortunately this api route is not currently available for tor users.  We are working on a solution that will allow tor users to use this endpoint in the future.',
+        };
+        res.status(403).json(failureResponse);
+      } else {
+        next();
+      }
+    })
+    .catch(error => {
+      logger.error(error);
+    });
+};
+
+module.exports = torCheck;
diff --git a/server/models/index.js b/server/models/index.js
index e2011bc8..a13d58ec 100644
--- a/server/models/index.js
+++ b/server/models/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const File = require('./file.js');
 const Request = require('./request.js');
 const User = require('./user.js');
 const Blocked = require('./blocked.js');
+const Tor = require('./tor.js');
 
 const {database, username, password} = require('@config/mysqlConfig');
 if (!database || !username || !password) {
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ db['File'] = sequelize.import('File', File);
 db['Request'] = sequelize.import('Request', Request);
 db['User'] = sequelize.import('User', User);
 db['Blocked'] = sequelize.import('Blocked', Blocked);
+db['Tor'] = sequelize.import('Tor', Tor);
 
 // run model.association for each model in the db object that has an association
 logger.info('associating db models...');
diff --git a/server/models/tor.js b/server/models/tor.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51541545
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/models/tor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+const { details: { ipAddress } } = require('@config/siteConfig');
+
+module.exports = (sequelize, { STRING }) => {
+  const Tor = sequelize.define(
+    'Tor',
+    {
+      address: {
+        type     : STRING,
+        allowNull: false,
+      },
+      fingerprint: {
+        type     : STRING,
+        allowNull: true,
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      freezeTableName: true,
+    }
+  );
+
+  Tor.refreshTable = function () {
+    let torList = [];
+    return fetch(`https://check.torproject.org/api/bulk?ip=${ipAddress}&port=80`)
+      .then(response => {
+        return response.json();
+      })
+      .then(jsonResponse => {
+        for (let i = 0; i < jsonResponse.length; i++) {
+          torList.push({
+            address    : jsonResponse[i].Address,
+            fingerprint: jsonResponse[i].Fingerprint,
+          });
+        }
+        // clear the table
+        return this.destroy({
+          truncate: true,
+        });
+      })
+      .then(() => {
+        // fill the table
+        return this.bulkCreate(torList);
+      })
+      .then(() => {
+        // return the new table
+        return this.findAll({
+          attributes: ['address', 'fingerprint'],
+          raw       : true,
+        });
+      })
+      .catch(error => {
+        throw error;
+      });
+  };
+
+  return Tor;
+};
diff --git a/server/routes/api/index.js b/server/routes/api/index.js
index 6a89348d..b0d10a1a 100644
--- a/server/routes/api/index.js
+++ b/server/routes/api/index.js
@@ -14,29 +14,33 @@ const claimShortId = require('../../controllers/api/claim/shortId');
 const fileAvailability = require('../../controllers/api/file/availability');
 const userPassword = require('../../controllers/api/user/password');
 const publishingConfig = require('../../controllers/api/config/site/publishing');
+const getTorList = require('../../controllers/api/tor');
 
-const multipartMiddleware = require('../utils/multipartMiddleware');
+const multipartMiddleware = require('../../middleware/multipartMiddleware');
+const torCheckMiddleware = require('../../middleware/torCheckMiddleware');
 
 module.exports = (app) => {
   // channel routes
-  app.get('/api/channel/availability/:name', channelAvailability);
-  app.get('/api/channel/short-id/:longId/:name', channelShortId);
-  app.get('/api/channel/data/:channelName/:channelClaimId', channelData);
-  app.get('/api/channel/claims/:channelName/:channelClaimId/:page', channelClaims);
+  app.get('/api/channel/availability/:name', torCheckMiddleware, channelAvailability);
+  app.get('/api/channel/short-id/:longId/:name', torCheckMiddleware, channelShortId);
+  app.get('/api/channel/data/:channelName/:channelClaimId', torCheckMiddleware, channelData);
+  app.get('/api/channel/claims/:channelName/:channelClaimId/:page', torCheckMiddleware, channelClaims);
   // claim routes
-  app.get('/api/claim/availability/:name', claimAvailability);
-  app.get('/api/claim/blocked-list/', claimBlockedList);
-  app.get('/api/claim/data/:claimName/:claimId', claimData);
-  app.get('/api/claim/get/:name/:claimId', claimGet);
-  app.get('/api/claim/list/:name', claimList);
-  app.post('/api/claim/long-id', claimLongId); // should be a get
-  app.post('/api/claim/publish', multipartMiddleware, claimPublish);
-  app.get('/api/claim/resolve/:name/:claimId', claimResolve);
-  app.get('/api/claim/short-id/:longId/:name', claimShortId);
+  app.get('/api/claim/availability/:name', torCheckMiddleware, claimAvailability);
+  app.get('/api/claim/blocked-list/', torCheckMiddleware, claimBlockedList);
+  app.get('/api/claim/data/:claimName/:claimId', torCheckMiddleware, claimData);
+  app.get('/api/claim/get/:name/:claimId', torCheckMiddleware, claimGet);
+  app.get('/api/claim/list/:name', torCheckMiddleware, claimList);
+  app.post('/api/claim/long-id', torCheckMiddleware, claimLongId); // note: should be a 'get'
+  app.post('/api/claim/publish', torCheckMiddleware, multipartMiddleware, claimPublish);
+  app.get('/api/claim/resolve/:name/:claimId', torCheckMiddleware, claimResolve);
+  app.get('/api/claim/short-id/:longId/:name', torCheckMiddleware, claimShortId);
   // file routes
-  app.get('/api/file/availability/:name/:claimId', fileAvailability);
+  app.get('/api/file/availability/:name/:claimId', torCheckMiddleware, fileAvailability);
   // user routes
-  app.put('/api/user/password/', userPassword);
+  app.put('/api/user/password/', torCheckMiddleware, userPassword);
   // configs
-  app.get('/api/config/site/publishing', publishingConfig);
+  app.get('/api/config/site/publishing', torCheckMiddleware, publishingConfig);
+  // tor
+  app.get('/api/tor', torCheckMiddleware, getTorList);
 };