diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@
 endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(src)
+
+option(BUILD_BITCOIN_CHRONIK "Activate the Chronik indexer" OFF)
+if(BUILD_BITCOIN_CHRONIK)
+	add_subdirectory(chronik)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(test)
 
 add_subdirectory(contrib)
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# This file is automatically @generated by Cargo.
+# It is not intended for manual editing.
+version = 3
+
+[[package]]
+name = "bitcoinsuite-core"
+version = "0.1.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2022 The Bitcoin developers
+
+[workspace]
+
+members = [
+    "chronik/bitcoinsuite-core",
+]
diff --git a/chronik/CMakeLists.txt b/chronik/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chronik/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2022 The Bitcoin developers
+
+find_package(Corrosion 0.2.0 REQUIRED)
+
+set(REQUIRED_RUST_VERSION "1.61.0")
+if(Rust_VERSION VERSION_LESS REQUIRED_RUST_VERSION)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Minimum required Rust version is "
+            "${REQUIRED_RUST_VERSION}, but found ${Rust_VERSION}")
+endif()
+
+set(CARGO_BUILD_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cargo/build")
+
+add_custom_target(check-bitcoinsuite
+COMMAND
+    "${CMAKE_COMMAND}"
+    -E env
+        CARGO_TARGET_DIR="${CARGO_BUILD_DIR}"
+        CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC="$<TARGET_FILE:Rust::Rustc>"
+    "$<TARGET_FILE:Rust::Cargo>"
+    test
+    --package bitcoinsuite-*
+WORKING_DIRECTORY
+    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}"
+)
diff --git a/chronik/bitcoinsuite-core/Cargo.toml b/chronik/bitcoinsuite-core/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chronik/bitcoinsuite-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2022 The Bitcoin developers
+
+[package]
+name = "bitcoinsuite-core"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+rust-version = "1.61.0"
+license = "MIT"
diff --git a/chronik/bitcoinsuite-core/src/lib.rs b/chronik/bitcoinsuite-core/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chronik/bitcoinsuite-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 The Bitcoin developers
+// Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
+// file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#![deny(unsafe_code)]
+
+//! Core primitives for dealing with Bitcoin-like chains.
+//!
+//! Note: This is a general purpose library, but has been optimized for the
+//! usage in Chronik, an indexer for Bitcoin ABC.
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 include(NativeExecutable)
 native_add_cmake_flags(
 	"-DBUILD_BITCOIN_WALLET=OFF"
+	"-DBUILD_BITCOIN_CHRONIK=OFF"
 	"-DBUILD_BITCOIN_QT=OFF"
 	"-DBUILD_BITCOIN_ZMQ=OFF"
 	"-DENABLE_QRCODE=OFF"