diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 07341e2d34..8e70bb3cfb 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1639,7 +1639,9 @@ dependencies = [
  "iron",
  "log 0.4.8",
  "pretty_env_logger",
+ "router",
  "serde",
+ "serde_json",
  "tempfile",
  "tokio 0.2.12",
  "topology",
@@ -2249,6 +2251,23 @@ dependencies = [
  "winreg",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "route-recognizer"
+version = "0.1.13"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ea509065eb0b3c446acdd0102f0d46567dc30902dc0be91d6552035d92b0f4f8"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "router"
+version = "0.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "dc63b6f3b8895b0d04e816b2b1aa58fdba2d5acca3cbb8f0ab8e017347d57397"
+dependencies = [
+ "iron",
+ "route-recognizer",
+ "url 1.7.2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "rust-argon2"
 version = "0.7.0"
diff --git a/validator/Cargo.toml b/validator/Cargo.toml
index 0abfa6c7d6..f000bdb199 100644
--- a/validator/Cargo.toml
+++ b/validator/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ futures = "0.3.1"
 iron = "0.6.1"
 log = "0.4"
 pretty_env_logger = "0.3"
+router = "0.6.0"
 serde = "1.0.104"
+serde_json = "1.0.48"
 tokio = { version = "0.2", features = ["full"] }
 
 ## internal
diff --git a/validator/src/network/rest/mod.rs b/validator/src/network/rest/mod.rs
index 30d94edc48..17a87785b9 100644
--- a/validator/src/network/rest/mod.rs
+++ b/validator/src/network/rest/mod.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 use iron::prelude::*;
-use iron::status;
+use router::Router;
+
+mod models;
+mod routes;
 
 pub struct Api {}
 
@@ -11,8 +14,16 @@ impl Api {
     pub async fn run(self) {
         let port = 3000;
         println!("* starting REST API on localhost:{}", port);
-        Iron::new(|_: &mut Request| Ok(Response::with((status::Ok, "Hello World!"))))
+
+        let router = self.setup_routes();
+        Iron::new(router)
             .http(format!("localhost:{}", port))
             .unwrap();
     }
+
+    pub fn setup_routes(&self) -> Router {
+        let mut router = Router::new();
+        router.get("/topology", routes::topology::get, "topology_get");
+        router
+    }
 }
diff --git a/validator/src/network/rest/models/mod.rs b/validator/src/network/rest/models/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb4ee05c5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/validator/src/network/rest/models/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pub mod presence;
diff --git a/validator/src/network/rest/models/presence.rs b/validator/src/network/rest/models/presence.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..300e80ca6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/validator/src/network/rest/models/presence.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+// Topology shows us the current state of the overall Nym network
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+pub struct Topology {
+    pub validators: Vec<Validator>,
+    pub mix_nodes: Vec<MixNode>,
+    pub service_providers: Vec<ServiceProvider>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+pub struct Validator {
+    host: String,
+    public_key: String,
+    version: String,
+    last_seen: u64,
+    location: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+pub struct MixNode {
+    host: String,
+    public_key: String,
+    version: String,
+    last_seen: u64,
+    location: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+pub struct ServiceProvider {
+    host: String,
+    public_key: String,
+    version: String,
+    last_seen: u64,
+    location: String,
+}
diff --git a/validator/src/network/rest/routes/mod.rs b/validator/src/network/rest/routes/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1265efcf40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/validator/src/network/rest/routes/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+use iron::prelude::*;
+use iron::status;
+
+pub mod topology;
diff --git a/validator/src/network/rest/routes/topology.rs b/validator/src/network/rest/routes/topology.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b72ccad3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/validator/src/network/rest/routes/topology.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+use super::*;
+use crate::network::rest::models::presence::{MixNode, ServiceProvider, Topology, Validator};
+
+pub fn get(_req: &mut Request) -> IronResult<Response> {
+    let topology = Topology {
+        mix_nodes: Vec::<MixNode>::new(),
+        service_providers: Vec::<ServiceProvider>::new(),
+        validators: Vec::<Validator>::new(),
+    };
+    let response = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&topology).unwrap();
+    Ok(Response::with((status::Ok, response)))
+}
diff --git a/validator/src/validator.rs b/validator/src/validator.rs
index da14ac78ac..9c12cef95a 100644
--- a/validator/src/validator.rs
+++ b/validator/src/validator.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ use crypto::identity::MixIdentityKeyPair;
 use healthcheck::HealthChecker;
 use tokio::runtime::Runtime;
 
-// allow for a generic validator
 pub struct Validator {
     // when you re-introduce keys, check which ones you want:
     //    MixIdentityKeyPair (like 'nym-client' ) <- probably that one (after maybe renaming to just identity::KeyPair)
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ pub struct Validator {
     rest_api: rest::Api,
 }
 
-// but for time being, since it's a dummy one, have it use dummy keys
 impl Validator {
     pub fn new(config: Config) -> Self {
         let dummy_healthcheck_keypair = MixIdentityKeyPair::new();
@@ -44,14 +42,17 @@ impl Validator {
         }
     }
 
+    // TODO: Fix Tendermint startup here, see https://github.com/nymtech/nym/issues/147
     pub fn start(self) {
         let mut rt = Runtime::new().unwrap();
         rt.spawn(self.health_check_runner.run());
         rt.spawn(self.rest_api.run());
         rt.spawn(self.tendermint_abci.run());
-        println!("Validator startup complete."); // TODO: Not immensely important to me right now, but why doesn't this get hit?
+
+        // TODO: this message is going to come out of order (if at all), as spawns are async
+        println!("Validator startup complete.");
         rt.block_on(blocker());
     }
 }
 
-pub async fn blocker() {}
+pub async fn blocker() {} // once Tendermint unblocks us, make this block forever.