diff --git a/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py b/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py
index 5271c1558..1ac385c60 100644
--- a/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py
+++ b/lbry/extras/daemon/components.py
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ from lbry.extras.daemon.exchange_rate_manager import ExchangeRateManager
 from lbry.extras.daemon.storage import SQLiteStorage
 from lbry.wallet import WalletManager
 from lbry.wallet.usage_payment import WalletServerPayer
+try:
+    import libtorrent
+    from lbry.torrent.session import TorrentSession
+except ImportError:
+    libtorrent = None
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -37,6 +42,7 @@ STREAM_MANAGER_COMPONENT = "stream_manager"
 PEER_PROTOCOL_SERVER_COMPONENT = "peer_protocol_server"
 UPNP_COMPONENT = "upnp"
 EXCHANGE_RATE_MANAGER_COMPONENT = "exchange_rate_manager"
+LIBTORRENT_COMPONENT = "libtorrent_component"
 
 
 class DatabaseComponent(Component):
@@ -335,7 +341,7 @@ class StreamManagerComponent(Component):
         if not self.stream_manager:
             return
         return {
-            'managed_files': len(self.stream_manager.streams),
+            'managed_files': len(self.stream_manager._sources),
         }
 
     async def start(self):
@@ -356,6 +362,34 @@ class StreamManagerComponent(Component):
         self.stream_manager.stop()
 
 
+class TorrentComponent(Component):
+    component_name = LIBTORRENT_COMPONENT
+
+    def __init__(self, component_manager):
+        super().__init__(component_manager)
+        self.torrent_session = None
+
+    @property
+    def component(self) -> typing.Optional[StreamManager]:
+        return self.torrent_session
+
+    async def get_status(self):
+        if not self.torrent_session:
+            return
+        return {
+            'running': True,  # TODO: what to return here?
+        }
+
+    async def start(self):
+        if libtorrent:
+            self.torrent_session = TorrentSession(asyncio.get_event_loop(), None)
+            await self.torrent_session.bind()  # TODO: specify host/port
+
+    async def stop(self):
+        if self.torrent_session:
+            await self.torrent_session.pause()
+
+
 class PeerProtocolServerComponent(Component):
     component_name = PEER_PROTOCOL_SERVER_COMPONENT
     depends_on = [UPNP_COMPONENT, BLOB_COMPONENT, WALLET_COMPONENT]
diff --git a/lbry/torrent/session.py b/lbry/torrent/session.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01e4cafa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lbry/torrent/session.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+import asyncio
+import binascii
+import libtorrent
+
+
+NOTIFICATION_MASKS = [
+  "error",
+  "peer",
+  "port_mapping",
+  "storage",
+  "tracker",
+  "debug",
+  "status",
+  "progress",
+  "ip_block",
+  "dht",
+  "stats",
+  "session_log",
+  "torrent_log",
+  "peer_log",
+  "incoming_request",
+  "dht_log",
+  "dht_operation",
+  "port_mapping_log",
+  "picker_log",
+  "file_progress",
+  "piece_progress",
+  "upload",
+  "block_progress"
+]
+
+
+def get_notification_type(notification) -> str:
+    for i, notification_type in enumerate(NOTIFICATION_MASKS):
+        if (1 << i) & notification:
+            return notification_type
+    raise ValueError("unrecognized notification type")
+
+
+class TorrentHandle:
+    def __init__(self, loop, executor, handle):
+        self._loop = loop
+        self._executor = executor
+        self._handle = handle
+        self.finished = asyncio.Event(loop=loop)
+
+    def _show_status(self):
+        status = self._handle.status()
+        if not status.is_seeding:
+            print('%.2f%% complete (down: %.1f kB/s up: %.1f kB/s peers: %d) %s' % (
+                status.progress * 100, status.download_rate / 1000, status.upload_rate / 1000,
+                status.num_peers, status.state))
+        elif not self.finished.is_set():
+            self.finished.set()
+            print("finished!")
+
+    async def status_loop(self):
+        while True:
+            await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+                self._executor, self._show_status
+            )
+            if self.finished.is_set():
+                break
+            await asyncio.sleep(1, loop=self._loop)
+
+    async def pause(self):
+        await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, self._handle.pause
+        )
+
+    async def resume(self):
+        await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, self._handle.resume
+        )
+
+
+class TorrentSession:
+    def __init__(self, loop, executor):
+        self._loop = loop
+        self._executor = executor
+        self._session = None
+        self._handles = {}
+
+    async def bind(self, interface: str = '0.0.0.0', port: int = 6881):
+        settings = {
+            'listen_interfaces': f"{interface}:{port}",
+            'enable_outgoing_utp': True,
+            'enable_incoming_utp': True,
+            'enable_outgoing_tcp': True,
+            'enable_incoming_tcp': True
+        }
+        self._session = await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, libtorrent.session, settings
+        )
+        await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, self._session.add_dht_router, "router.utorrent.com", 6881
+        )
+        self._loop.create_task(self.process_alerts())
+
+    def _pop_alerts(self):
+        for alert in self._session.pop_alerts():
+            print("alert: ", alert)
+
+    async def process_alerts(self):
+        while True:
+            await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+                self._executor, self._pop_alerts
+            )
+            await asyncio.sleep(1, loop=self._loop)
+
+    async def pause(self):
+        state = await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, self._session.save_state
+        )
+        # print(f"state:\n{state}")
+        await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, self._session.pause
+        )
+
+    async def resume(self):
+        await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, self._session.resume
+        )
+
+    def _add_torrent(self, btih: str, download_directory: str):
+        self._handles[btih] = TorrentHandle(self._loop, self._executor, self._session.add_torrent(
+            {'info_hash': binascii.unhexlify(btih.encode()), 'save_path': download_directory}
+        ))
+
+    async def add_torrent(self, btih, download_path):
+        await self._loop.run_in_executor(
+            self._executor, self._add_torrent, btih, download_path
+        )
+        self._loop.create_task(self._handles[btih].status_loop())
+        await self._handles[btih].finished.wait()
+
+
+def get_magnet_uri(btih):
+    return f"magnet:?xt=urn:btih:{btih}"