diff --git a/.github/workflows/cla.yml b/.github/workflows/cla.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 1a3e412870..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/cla.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
----
-name: "CLA Assistant"
-on:  # yamllint disable-line rule:truthy
-  issue_comment:
-    types:
-      - created
-  pull_request_target:
-    types:
-      - opened
-      - closed
-      - synchronize
-
-jobs:
-  CLAssistant:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: "CLA Assistant"
-        if: (github.event.comment.body == 'recheck' || github.event.comment.body == 'I have read the CLA Document and I hereby sign the CLA') || github.event_name == 'pull_request_target'
-        # Beta Release
-        uses: cla-assistant/github-action@v2.1.3-beta
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          # the below token should have repo scope and must be manually added by you in the repository's secret
-          PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
-        with:
-          path-to-signatures: 'cla.json'
-          path-to-document: 'https://github.com/0xPolygon/polygon-edge/blob/develop/CLA.md'
-          branch: 'cla-signatures'
-          allowlist: dependabot[bot],dependabot-preview[bot]
diff --git a/network/frost/frost.go b/network/frost/frost.go
index f0cb99a77c..08d1518378 100644
--- a/network/frost/frost.go
+++ b/network/frost/frost.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package frost
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/0xPolygon/polygon-edge/network/event"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog"
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ type networkingServer interface {
 	NewFrostClient(peerID peer.ID) (network.Stream, error)
 
 	// DisconnectFromPeer attempts to disconnect from the specified peer
-	DisconnectFromPeer(peerID peer.ID, reason string)
+	DisconnectFromFrostPeer(peerID peer.ID, reason string)
 
 	// AddPeer adds a peer to the networking server's peer store
 	AddFrostPeer(id peer.ID, direction network.Direction)
@@ -150,13 +151,12 @@ func (f *FrostService) GetNotifyBundle() *network.NotifyBundle {
 
 // disconnectFromPeer disconnects from the specified peer
 func (f *FrostService) disconnectFromPeer(peerID peer.ID, reason string) {
-	f.baseServer.DisconnectFromPeer(peerID, reason)
+	f.baseServer.DisconnectFromFrostPeer(peerID, reason)
 }
 
 // handleConnected handles new network connections (handshakes)
 func (f *FrostService) handleConnected(peerID peer.ID, direction network.Direction) error {
-	fmt.Println(">>>>>>>>>>>>> FROST handle connected peer id: ", peerID)
-	_, clientErr := f.baseServer.NewFrostClient(peerID)
+	stream, clientErr := f.baseServer.NewFrostClient(peerID)
 	if clientErr != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf(
 			"unable to create new frost client connection, %w",
@@ -165,6 +165,12 @@ func (f *FrostService) handleConnected(peerID peer.ID, direction network.Directi
 	}
 
 	fmt.Println(">>>>>>>>>>>>> FROST Here we should communicate and check frost info of the peer: ", peerID)
+	stream.Write([]byte("HelloToposNode o yee"))
+	time.Sleep(time.Second * 5)
+
+	rd := []byte{}
+	num, _ := stream.Read(rd)
+	fmt.Println(">>>>>>>>>>>>> FROST Read response: ", rd, " number of bytes:", num)
 
 	// Validate that the peers are working on the same chain
 	// if status.Chain != resp.Chain {
@@ -172,6 +178,7 @@ func (f *FrostService) handleConnected(peerID peer.ID, direction network.Directi
 	// }
 
 	// If this is a NOT temporary connection, save it
+
 	f.baseServer.AddFrostPeer(peerID, direction)
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/network/frost/frost_stream.go b/network/frost/frost_stream.go
index df5c16d173..6f3e3bb1c9 100644
--- a/network/frost/frost_stream.go
+++ b/network/frost/frost_stream.go
@@ -33,16 +33,20 @@ func (s *FrostStream) Client(stream network.Stream) *network.Stream {
 }
 
 func (s *FrostStream) Handler() func(network.Stream) {
+	fmt.Println(">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  FROST Handler called:")
+
 	return func(stream network.Stream) {
+		go func() {
+			for {
+				b := <-s.streamCh
+				fmt.Println(">>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FROST RECEIVED BYTES >> :", b)
+			}
+		}()
+
 		select {
 		case <-s.ctx.Done():
 			return
 		case s.streamCh <- stream:
-			fmt.Println(">>>>>>>>>>>>>>> RECEIVED BYTES:")
-			//b := make([]byte, len(p))
-			b := <-s.streamCh
-			fmt.Println(">>>>>>>>>>>>>>> RECEIVED BYTES >> :", b)
-
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -59,11 +63,11 @@ func (s *FrostStream) Accept() (net.Conn, error) {
 }
 
 // Addr implements the net.Listener interface
-func (g *FrostStream) Addr() net.Addr {
+func (s *FrostStream) Addr() net.Addr {
 	return fakeLocalAddr()
 }
 
-func (g *FrostStream) Close() error {
+func (s *FrostStream) Close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/network/identity/identity.go b/network/identity/identity.go
index a09e09250d..3ebb022906 100644
--- a/network/identity/identity.go
+++ b/network/identity/identity.go
@@ -133,34 +133,6 @@ func (i *IdentityService) GetNotifyBundle() *network.NotifyBundle {
 	}
 }
 
-// hasPendingStatus checks if a peer is pending handshake [Thread safe]
-// func (i *IdentityService) hasPendingStatus(id peer.ID) bool {
-// 	_, ok := i.pendingPeerConnections.Load(id)
-
-// 	return ok
-// }
-
-// removePendingStatus removes the pending status from a peer,
-// and updates adequate counter information [Thread safe]
-// func (i *IdentityService) removePendingStatus(peerID peer.ID) {
-// 	if value, loaded := i.pendingPeerConnections.LoadAndDelete(peerID); loaded {
-// 		direction, ok := value.(network.Direction)
-// 		if !ok {
-// 			return
-// 		}
-
-// 		i.baseServer.UpdatePendingConnCount(-1, direction)
-// 	}
-// }
-
-// addPendingStatus adds the pending status to a peer,
-// and updates adequate counter information [Thread safe]
-// func (i *IdentityService) addPendingStatus(id peer.ID, direction network.Direction) {
-// 	if _, loaded := i.pendingPeerConnections.LoadOrStore(id, direction); !loaded {
-// 		i.baseServer.UpdatePendingConnCount(1, direction)
-// 	}
-// }
-
 // disconnectFromPeer disconnects from the specified peer
 func (i *IdentityService) disconnectFromPeer(peerID peer.ID, reason string) {
 	i.baseServer.DisconnectFromPeer(peerID, reason)
diff --git a/network/server.go b/network/server.go
index 95e8948af9..add20fc53e 100644
--- a/network/server.go
+++ b/network/server.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ type Server struct {
 
 	frostPeers                  map[peer.ID]*FrostPeerConnInfo // map of all topos node connections
 	frostPeersLock              sync.Mutex                     // lock for the peer map of topos nodes
-	frostPendingPeerConnections sync.Map                       // Map that keeps track of the pending status of peers; peerID -> bool
+	frostPendingPeerConnections sync.Map                       // Map that keeps track of the frost pending status
 	frostConnectionCounts       *ConnectionInfo
 }
 
@@ -626,7 +626,8 @@ func (s *Server) updateBootnodeConnCount(peerID peer.ID, delta int64) {
 
 // DisconnectFromPeer disconnects the networking server from the specified peer
 func (s *Server) DisconnectFromPeer(peer peer.ID, reason string) {
-	if s.host.Network().Connectedness(peer) == network.Connected {
+	_, frostPeerConection := s.frostPeers[peer]
+	if (s.host.Network().Connectedness(peer) == network.Connected) && (!frostPeerConection) {
 		s.logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Closing connection to peer [%s] for reason [%s]", peer.String(), reason))
 
 		if closeErr := s.host.Network().ClosePeer(peer); closeErr != nil {
@@ -635,6 +636,17 @@ func (s *Server) DisconnectFromPeer(peer peer.ID, reason string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *Server) DisconnectFromFrostPeer(peer peer.ID, reason string) {
+	_, peerConection := s.peers[peer]
+	if (s.host.Network().Connectedness(peer) == network.Connected) && (!peerConection) {
+		s.logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Closing frost connection to peer [%s] for reason [%s]", peer.String(), reason))
+
+		if closeErr := s.host.Network().ClosePeer(peer); closeErr != nil {
+			s.logger.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to gracefully close frost peer connection, %v", closeErr))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 var (
 	// Anything below 35s is prone to false timeouts, as seen from empirical test data
 	DefaultJoinTimeout   = 100 * time.Second
@@ -898,10 +910,12 @@ func (s *Server) updatePendingConnCountMetrics(direction network.Direction) {
 func (s *Server) updateFrostConnCountMetrics(direction network.Direction) {
 	switch direction {
 	case network.DirInbound:
-		metrics.SetGauge([]string{"inbound_frost_connections_count"}, float32(s.frostConnectionCounts.GetInboundConnCount()))
+		metrics.SetGauge([]string{"inbound_frost_connections_count"},
+			float32(s.frostConnectionCounts.GetInboundConnCount()))
 
 	case network.DirOutbound:
-		metrics.SetGauge([]string{"outbound_frost_connections_count"}, float32(s.frostConnectionCounts.GetOutboundConnCount()))
+		metrics.SetGauge([]string{"outbound_frost_connections_count"},
+			float32(s.frostConnectionCounts.GetOutboundConnCount()))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -922,28 +936,30 @@ func (s *Server) updateFrostPendingConnCountMetrics(direction network.Direction)
 func (s *Server) HasPendingStatus(peerID peer.ID) bool {
 	_, pendingPeerConection := s.pendingPeerConnections.Load(peerID)
 	_, pendingFrostPeerConection := s.frostPendingPeerConnections.Load(peerID)
+
 	return pendingPeerConection || pendingFrostPeerConection
 }
 
 func (s *Server) HasIdentityPendingStatus(peerID peer.ID) bool {
 	_, pendingPeerConection := s.pendingPeerConnections.Load(peerID)
+
 	return pendingPeerConection
 }
 
 func (s *Server) HasFrostPendingStatus(peerID peer.ID) bool {
 	_, pendingFrostPeerConection := s.frostPendingPeerConnections.Load(peerID)
+
 	return pendingFrostPeerConection
 }
 
 func (s *Server) AddPendingPeer(peerID peer.ID, direction network.Direction) {
-	s.logger.Debug("Add pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	if _, loaded := s.pendingPeerConnections.LoadOrStore(peerID, direction); !loaded {
 		s.UpdatePendingConnCount(1, direction)
+		s.logger.Debug("Add pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	}
 }
 
 func (s *Server) RemovePendingPeer(peerID peer.ID) {
-	s.logger.Debug("Remove pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	if value, loaded := s.pendingPeerConnections.LoadAndDelete(peerID); loaded {
 		direction, ok := value.(network.Direction)
 		if !ok {
@@ -951,18 +967,18 @@ func (s *Server) RemovePendingPeer(peerID peer.ID) {
 		}
 
 		s.UpdatePendingConnCount(-1, direction)
+		s.logger.Debug("Remove pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	}
 }
 
 func (s *Server) AddFrostPendingPeer(peerID peer.ID, direction network.Direction) {
-	s.logger.Debug("Add frost pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	if _, loaded := s.frostPendingPeerConnections.LoadOrStore(peerID, direction); !loaded {
 		s.UpdateFrostPendingConnCount(1, direction)
+		s.logger.Debug("Added frost pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	}
 }
 
 func (s *Server) RemoveFrostPendingPeer(peerID peer.ID) {
-	s.logger.Debug("Remove frost pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	if value, loaded := s.frostPendingPeerConnections.LoadAndDelete(peerID); loaded {
 		direction, ok := value.(network.Direction)
 		if !ok {
@@ -970,5 +986,6 @@ func (s *Server) RemoveFrostPendingPeer(peerID peer.ID) {
 		}
 
 		s.UpdateFrostPendingConnCount(-1, direction)
+		s.logger.Debug("Removed frost pending peer", "id", peerID)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/network/server_frost.go b/network/server_frost.go
index 128ec1c0de..944d34ec60 100644
--- a/network/server_frost.go
+++ b/network/server_frost.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 
 // NewFrostClient returns a new frost stream client connection
 func (s *Server) NewFrostClient(peerID peer.ID) (network.Stream, error) {
-
 	// Create a new stream connection and return it
 	stream, err := s.NewStream(common.Frost, peerID)
 	if err != nil {