diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4c8dab38d..fc78cb399 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - Type inference for Structs with instance methods https://github.com/o1-labs/snarkyjs/pull/567
   - also fixes `Struct.fromJSON`
 
+### Changed
+
+- New option `enforceTransactionLimits` for `LocalBlockchain` (default value: `true`), to disable the enforcement of protocol transaction limits (maximum events, maximum sequence events and enforcing certain layout of `AccountUpdate`s depending on their authorization) https://github.com/o1-labs/snarkyjs/pull/620
+
 ## [0.7.3](https://github.com/o1-labs/snarkyjs/compare/5f20f496...d880bd6e)
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/src/examples/zkapps/dex/run.ts b/src/examples/zkapps/dex/run.ts
index baf2bc958..6dc730b6d 100644
--- a/src/examples/zkapps/dex/run.ts
+++ b/src/examples/zkapps/dex/run.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ import { expect } from 'expect';
 await isReady;
 let doProofs = false;
 
-let Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({ proofsEnabled: doProofs });
+let Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({
+  proofsEnabled: doProofs,
+  enforceTransactionLimits: false,
+});
 Mina.setActiveInstance(Local);
 let accountFee = Mina.accountCreationFee();
 let [{ privateKey: feePayerKey }] = Local.testAccounts;
@@ -37,7 +40,10 @@ await TokenContract.compile();
 await main({ withVesting: false });
 
 // swap out ledger so we can start fresh
-Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({ proofsEnabled: doProofs });
+Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({
+  proofsEnabled: doProofs,
+  enforceTransactionLimits: false,
+});
 Mina.setActiveInstance(Local);
 [{ privateKey: feePayerKey }] = Local.testAccounts;
 feePayerAddress = feePayerKey.toPublicKey();
diff --git a/src/examples/zkapps/voting/demo.ts b/src/examples/zkapps/voting/demo.ts
index 4704dddf6..36b1fb078 100644
--- a/src/examples/zkapps/voting/demo.ts
+++ b/src/examples/zkapps/voting/demo.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
 
 let Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({
   proofsEnabled: false,
+  enforceTransactionLimits: false,
 });
 Mina.setActiveInstance(Local);
 
diff --git a/src/examples/zkapps/voting/deployContracts.ts b/src/examples/zkapps/voting/deployContracts.ts
index d843259d5..5cde24c78 100644
--- a/src/examples/zkapps/voting/deployContracts.ts
+++ b/src/examples/zkapps/voting/deployContracts.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ export async function deployContracts(
 }> {
   let Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({
     proofsEnabled,
+    enforceTransactionLimits: false,
   });
   Mina.setActiveInstance(Local);
 
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ export async function deployInvalidContracts(
 }> {
   let Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({
     proofsEnabled: false,
+    enforceTransactionLimits: false,
   });
   Mina.setActiveInstance(Local);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/mina.ts b/src/lib/mina.ts
index ea4354422..82eddf2b1 100644
--- a/src/lib/mina.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mina.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ export {
   fetchEvents,
   getActions,
   FeePayerSpec,
+  // for internal testing only
+  filterGroups,
 };
 interface TransactionId {
   wait(): Promise<void>;
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@ function createTransaction(
   let accountUpdates = currentTransaction.get().accountUpdates;
   CallForest.addCallers(accountUpdates);
   accountUpdates = CallForest.toFlatList(accountUpdates);
+
   try {
     // check that on-chain values weren't used without setting a precondition
     for (let accountUpdate of accountUpdates) {
@@ -287,6 +290,7 @@ const defaultAccountCreationFee = 1_000_000_000;
 function LocalBlockchain({
   accountCreationFee = defaultAccountCreationFee as string | number,
   proofsEnabled = true,
+  enforceTransactionLimits = true,
 } = {}) {
   const msPerSlot = 3 * 60 * 1000;
   const startTime = new Date().valueOf();
@@ -377,6 +381,9 @@ function LocalBlockchain({
         JSON.stringify(zkappCommandToJson(txn.transaction))
       );
 
+      if (enforceTransactionLimits)
+        verifyTransactionLimits(txn.transaction.accountUpdates);
+
       for (const update of txn.transaction.accountUpdates) {
         let account = ledger.getAccount(
           update.body.publicKey,
@@ -617,6 +624,8 @@ function Network(graphqlEndpoint: string): Mina {
     async sendTransaction(txn: Transaction) {
       txn.sign();
 
+      verifyTransactionLimits(txn.transaction.accountUpdates);
+
       let [response, error] = await Fetch.sendZkapp(txn.toJSON());
       let errors: any[] | undefined;
       if (error === undefined) {
@@ -1039,3 +1048,121 @@ async function verifyAccountUpdate(
     );
   }
 }
+
+function verifyTransactionLimits(accountUpdates: AccountUpdate[]) {
+  // constants used to calculate cost of a transaction - originally defined in the genesis_constants file in the mina repo
+  const proofCost = 10.26;
+  const signedPairCost = 10.08;
+  const signedSingleCost = 9.14;
+  const costLimit = 69.45;
+
+  // constants that define the maximum number of events in one transaction
+  const maxSequenceEventElements = 16;
+  const maxEventElements = 16;
+
+  let eventElements = {
+    events: 0,
+    sequence: 0,
+  };
+
+  let authTypes = filterGroups(
+    accountUpdates.map((update) => {
+      let json = update.toJSON();
+      eventElements.events += update.body.events.data.length;
+      eventElements.sequence += update.body.sequenceEvents.data.length;
+      return json.body.authorizationKind;
+    })
+  );
+  /*
+  np := proof
+  n2 := signedPair
+  n1 := signedSingle
+  
+  10.26*np + 10.08*n2 + 9.14*n1 < 69.45
+
+  formula used to calculate how expensive a zkapp transaction is
+  */
+
+  let totalTimeRequired =
+    proofCost * authTypes['proof'] +
+    signedPairCost * authTypes['signedPair'] +
+    signedSingleCost * authTypes['signedSingle'];
+
+  let isWithinCostLimit = totalTimeRequired < costLimit;
+
+  let isWithinEventsLimit = eventElements['events'] <= maxEventElements;
+  let isWithinSequenceEventsLimit =
+    eventElements['sequence'] <= maxSequenceEventElements;
+
+  let error = '';
+
+  if (!isWithinCostLimit) {
+    // TODO: we should add a link to the docs explaining the reasoning behind it once we have such an explainer
+    error += `Error: The transaction is too expensive, try reducing the number of AccountUpdates that are attached to the transaction.
+Each transaction needs to be processed by the snark workers on the network.
+Certain layouts of AccountUpdates require more proving time than others, and therefore are too expensive.
+
+${JSON.stringify(authTypes)}
+\n\n`;
+  }
+
+  if (!isWithinEventsLimit) {
+    error += `Error: The AccountUpdates in your transaction are trying to emit too many events. The maximum allowed amount of events is ${maxEventElements}, but you tried to emit ${eventElements['events']}.\n\n`;
+  }
+
+  if (!isWithinSequenceEventsLimit) {
+    error += `Error: The AccountUpdates in your transaction are trying to emit too many actions. The maximum allowed amount of actions is ${maxSequenceEventElements}, but you tried to emit ${eventElements['sequence']}.\n\n`;
+  }
+
+  if (error) throw Error('Error during transaction sending:\n\n' + error);
+}
+
+let S = 'Signature';
+let N = 'None_given';
+let P = 'Proof';
+
+const isPair = (pair: string) =>
+  pair == S + N || pair == N + S || pair == S + S || pair == N + N;
+
+function filterPairs(xs: string[]): {
+  xs: string[];
+  pairs: number;
+} {
+  if (xs.length <= 1)
+    return {
+      xs,
+      pairs: 0,
+    };
+  if (isPair(xs[0].concat(xs[1]))) {
+    let rec = filterPairs(xs.slice(2));
+    return {
+      xs: rec.xs,
+      pairs: rec.pairs + 1,
+    };
+  } else {
+    let rec = filterPairs(xs.slice(1));
+    return {
+      xs: [xs[0]].concat(rec.xs),
+      pairs: rec.pairs,
+    };
+  }
+}
+
+function filterGroups(xs: string[]) {
+  let pairs = filterPairs(xs);
+  xs = pairs.xs;
+
+  let singleCount = 0;
+  let proofCount = 0;
+
+  xs.forEach((t) => {
+    if (t == P) proofCount++;
+    else singleCount++;
+  });
+
+  return {
+    signedPair: pairs.pairs,
+    signedSingle: singleCount,
+    proof: proofCount,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/mina.unit-test.ts b/src/lib/mina.unit-test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00c07d60a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/mina.unit-test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import { filterGroups } from './mina.js';
+import { expect } from 'expect';
+import { shutdown } from '../index.js';
+
+let S = 'Signature';
+let N = 'None_given';
+let P = 'Proof';
+
+expect(filterGroups([S, S, S, S, S, S])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 3,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N, N, N, N, N, N])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 3,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N, S, S, N, N, S])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 3,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([S, P, S, S, S, S])).toEqual({
+  proof: 1,
+  signedPair: 2,
+  signedSingle: 1,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N, P, N, P, N, P])).toEqual({
+  proof: 3,
+  signedPair: 0,
+  signedSingle: 3,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N, P])).toEqual({
+  proof: 1,
+  signedPair: 0,
+  signedSingle: 1,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N, S])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 1,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([P, P])).toEqual({
+  proof: 2,
+  signedPair: 0,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([P, P, S, N, N])).toEqual({
+  proof: 2,
+  signedPair: 1,
+  signedSingle: 1,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([P])).toEqual({
+  proof: 1,
+  signedPair: 0,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([S])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 0,
+  signedSingle: 1,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 0,
+  signedSingle: 1,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N, N])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 1,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([N, S])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 1,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([S, N])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 1,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+
+expect(filterGroups([S, S])).toEqual({
+  proof: 0,
+  signedPair: 1,
+  signedSingle: 0,
+});
+shutdown();
diff --git a/src/lib/token.test.ts b/src/lib/token.test.ts
index df284c91d..20802816f 100644
--- a/src/lib/token.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/token.test.ts
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ let zkAppCAddress: PublicKey;
 let zkAppC: ZkAppC;
 
 function setupAccounts() {
-  let Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({ proofsEnabled: true });
+  let Local = Mina.LocalBlockchain({
+    proofsEnabled: true,
+    enforceTransactionLimits: false,
+  });
   Mina.setActiveInstance(Local);
   feePayerKey = Local.testAccounts[0].privateKey;