diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 94a2e66..2a5cf04 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1936,6 +1936,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "irpc",
  "irpc-iroh",
  "n0-future",
+ "paste",
  "rand 0.8.5",
  "rcan",
  "serde",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 65c3b74..cca1d12 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ rust-version = "1.81"
 anyhow = "1.0.95"
 derive_more = { version = "2.0.1", features = ["from"] }
 ed25519-dalek = "2.1.1"
+
 irpc = "0.3.0"
 irpc-iroh = "0.3.0"
 iroh = "0.35"
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ iroh-blobs = "0.35"
 iroh-gossip = { version = "0.35", default-features = false }
 iroh-metrics = "0.34"
 n0-future = "0.1.2"
+paste = "1.0.14"
 rand = "0.8"
 rcan = { git = "https://github.com/n0-computer/rcan", branch = "main" }
 serde = { version = "1.0.217", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 73d9115..d04c555 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 mod client;
+mod n0des;
 
 pub mod caps;
 pub mod protocol;
 
 pub use self::{
     client::{Client, ClientBuilder},
+    n0des::N0de,
     protocol::ALPN,
 };
diff --git a/src/n0des.rs b/src/n0des.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8118c28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/n0des.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+use std::future::Future;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+use iroh::Endpoint;
+
+/// A trait for nodes that can be spawned and shut down
+pub trait N0de: 'static + Send {
+    fn spawn(endpoint: Endpoint) -> impl Future<Output = Result<Self>> + Send
+    where
+        Self: Sized;
+
+    /// Asynchronously shut down the node
+    fn shutdown(&mut self) -> impl Future<Output = Result<()>> + Send;
+}