diff --git a/consensus/proto/consensus.pb.go b/api/consensus/consensus.pb.go
similarity index 100%
rename from consensus/proto/consensus.pb.go
rename to api/consensus/consensus.pb.go
diff --git a/consensus/proto/consensus.proto b/api/consensus/consensus.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from consensus/proto/consensus.proto
rename to api/consensus/consensus.proto
diff --git a/consensus/consensus_leader.go b/consensus/consensus_leader.go
index da1ce802f..9db52c6fd 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus_leader.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus_leader.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/p2p/host"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/services/explorer"
 
-	consensus2 "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/consensus/proto"
+	consensus_proto "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/api/consensus"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/profiler"
 
 	"github.com/dedis/kyber"
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) commitByLeader(firstRound bool) {
 
 // processCommitMessage processes the commit message sent from validators
 func (consensus *Consensus) processCommitMessage(payload []byte, targetState State) {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 	message.XXX_Unmarshal(payload)
 
 	consensusID := message.ConsensusId
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) responseByLeader(challenge kyber.Scalar, firstRound
 
 // Processes the response message sent from validators
 func (consensus *Consensus) processResponseMessage(payload []byte, targetState State) {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 	message.XXX_Unmarshal(payload)
 
 	consensusID := message.ConsensusId
diff --git a/consensus/consensus_leader_msg.go b/consensus/consensus_leader_msg.go
index e654af426..a561b36c1 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus_leader_msg.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus_leader_msg.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package consensus
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"github.com/dedis/kyber"
-	consensus2 "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/consensus/proto"
+	consensus_proto "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/api/consensus"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/crypto"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/log"
 	proto_consensus "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/proto/consensus"
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 // Constructs the announce message
 func (consensus *Consensus) constructAnnounceMessage() []byte {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 
 	// 4 byte consensus id
 	message.ConsensusId = consensus.consensusID
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) constructAnnounceMessage() []byte {
 
 // Construct the challenge message, returning challenge message in bytes, challenge scalar and aggregated commmitment point.
 func (consensus *Consensus) constructChallengeMessage(msgTypeToSend proto_consensus.MessageType) ([]byte, kyber.Scalar, kyber.Point) {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 
 	// 4 byte consensus id
 	message.ConsensusId = consensus.consensusID
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) constructChallengeMessage(msgTypeToSend proto_consen
 
 // Construct the collective signature message
 func (consensus *Consensus) constructCollectiveSigMessage(collectiveSig [64]byte, bitmap []byte) []byte {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 
 	// 4 byte consensus id
 	message.ConsensusId = consensus.consensusID
diff --git a/consensus/consensus_validator.go b/consensus/consensus_validator.go
index 0be0e3bee..fc874f79d 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus_validator.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus_validator.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/dedis/kyber/sign/schnorr"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
-	consensus2 "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/consensus/proto"
+	consensus_proto "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/api/consensus"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/core/types"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/crypto"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/internal/attack"
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) ProcessMessageValidator(message []byte) {
 func (consensus *Consensus) processAnnounceMessage(payload []byte) {
 	consensus.Log.Info("Received Announce Message", "Size", len(payload), "nodeID", consensus.nodeID)
 
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 	message.XXX_Unmarshal(payload)
 
 	consensusID := message.ConsensusId
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) processAnnounceMessage(payload []byte) {
 // Processes the challenge message sent from the leader
 func (consensus *Consensus) processChallengeMessage(payload []byte, targetState State) {
 	consensus.Log.Info("Received Challenge Message", "Size", len(payload), "nodeID", consensus.nodeID)
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 	message.XXX_Unmarshal(payload)
 
 	consensusID := message.ConsensusId
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) processChallengeMessage(payload []byte, targetState
 
 // Processes the collective signature message sent from the leader
 func (consensus *Consensus) processCollectiveSigMessage(payload []byte) {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 	message.XXX_Unmarshal(payload)
 
 	consensusID := message.ConsensusId
diff --git a/consensus/consensus_validator_msg.go b/consensus/consensus_validator_msg.go
index 8ad0ffd57..2c26cd696 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus_validator_msg.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus_validator_msg.go
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@ package consensus
 
 import (
 	"github.com/dedis/kyber"
-	consensus2 "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/consensus/proto"
+	consensus_proto "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/api/consensus"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/crypto"
 	proto_consensus "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/proto/consensus"
 )
 
 // Construct the commit message to send to leader (assumption the consensus data is already verified)
 func (consensus *Consensus) constructCommitMessage(msgType proto_consensus.MessageType) (secret kyber.Scalar, commitMsg []byte) {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 
 	// 4 byte consensus id
 	message.ConsensusId = consensus.consensusID
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) constructCommitMessage(msgType proto_consensus.Messa
 
 // Construct the response message to send to leader (assumption the consensus data is already verified)
 func (consensus *Consensus) constructResponseMessage(msgType proto_consensus.MessageType, response kyber.Scalar) []byte {
-	message := consensus2.Message{}
+	message := consensus_proto.Message{}
 
 	// 4 byte consensus id
 	message.ConsensusId = consensus.consensusID