diff --git a/tests/api/test_balance.py b/tests/api/test_balance.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dbf9490a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/api/test_balance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,219 @@
+import json
+from typing import List, Protocol
+
+import pytest
+import pytz
+from aleph_message.models import (
+    Chain,
+    ItemType,
+    MessageType,
+    InstanceContent,
+    ExecutableContent,
+    ProgramContent,
+)
+from aleph_message.models.execution.volume import ImmutableVolume, ParentVolume
+
+from aleph.db.accessors.files import insert_message_file_pin, upsert_file_tag
+from aleph.db.models import (
+    MessageDb,
+    PostDb,
+    AlephBalanceDb,
+    PendingMessageDb,
+    StoredFileDb,
+    MessageStatusDb,
+)
+from aleph.toolkit.timestamp import timestamp_to_datetime
+from aleph.types.channel import Channel
+from aleph.types.db_session import DbSessionFactory, DbSession
+from aleph.types.files import FileType, FileTag
+from aleph.types.message_status import MessageStatus
+from .utils import get_messages_by_keys
+from decimal import Decimal
+import datetime as dt
+
+MESSAGES_URI = "/api/v0/addresses/0x9319Ad3B7A8E0eE24f2E639c40D8eD124C5520Ba/balance"
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def fixture_instance_message(session_factory: DbSessionFactory) -> PendingMessageDb:
+    content = {
+        "address": "0x9319Ad3B7A8E0eE24f2E639c40D8eD124C5520Ba",
+        "allow_amend": False,
+        "variables": {
+            "VM_CUSTOM_VARIABLE": "SOMETHING",
+            "VM_CUSTOM_VARIABLE_2": "32",
+        },
+        "environment": {
+            "reproducible": True,
+            "internet": False,
+            "aleph_api": False,
+            "shared_cache": False,
+        },
+        "resources": {"vcpus": 1, "memory": 128, "seconds": 30},
+        "requirements": {"cpu": {"architecture": "x86_64"}},
+        "rootfs": {
+            "parent": {
+                "ref": "549ec451d9b099cad112d4aaa2c00ac40fb6729a92ff252ff22eef0b5c3cb613",
+                "use_latest": True,
+            },
+            "persistence": "host",
+            "name": "test-rootfs",
+            "size_mib": 20 * 1024,
+        },
+        "authorized_keys": [
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIGULT6A41Msmw2KEu0R9MvUjhuWNAsbdeZ0DOwYbt4Qt user@example",
+            "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIH0jqdc5dmt75QhTrWqeHDV9xN8vxbgFyOYs2fuQl7CI",
+        ],
+        "volumes": [
+            {
+                "comment": "Python libraries. Read-only since a 'ref' is specified.",
+                "mount": "/opt/venv",
+                "ref": "5f31b0706f59404fad3d0bff97ef89ddf24da4761608ea0646329362c662ba51",
+                "use_latest": False,
+            },
+            {
+                "comment": "Ephemeral storage, read-write but will not persist after the VM stops",
+                "mount": "/var/cache",
+                "ephemeral": True,
+                "size_mib": 5,
+            },
+            {
+                "comment": "Working data persisted on the VM supervisor, not available on other nodes",
+                "mount": "/var/lib/sqlite",
+                "name": "sqlite-data",
+                "persistence": "host",
+                "size_mib": 10,
+            },
+            {
+                "comment": "Working data persisted on the Aleph network. "
+                "New VMs will try to use the latest version of this volume, "
+                "with no guarantee against conflicts",
+                "mount": "/var/lib/statistics",
+                "name": "statistics",
+                "persistence": "store",
+                "size_mib": 10,
+            },
+            {
+                "comment": "Raw drive to use by a process, do not mount it",
+                "name": "raw-data",
+                "persistence": "host",
+                "size_mib": 10,
+            },
+        ],
+        "time": 1619017773.8950517,
+    }
+
+    pending_message = PendingMessageDb(
+        item_hash="734a1287a2b7b5be060312ff5b05ad1bcf838950492e3428f2ac6437a1acad26",
+        type=MessageType.instance,
+        chain=Chain.ETH,
+        sender="0x9319Ad3B7A8E0eE24f2E639c40D8eD124C5520Ba",
+        signature=None,
+        item_type=ItemType.inline,
+        item_content=json.dumps(content),
+        time=timestamp_to_datetime(1619017773.8950577),
+        channel=None,
+        reception_time=timestamp_to_datetime(1619017774),
+        fetched=True,
+        check_message=False,
+        retries=0,
+        next_attempt=dt.datetime(2023, 1, 1),
+    )
+    with session_factory() as session:
+        session.add(pending_message)
+        session.add(
+            MessageStatusDb(
+                item_hash=pending_message.item_hash,
+                status=MessageStatus.PENDING,
+                reception_time=pending_message.reception_time,
+            )
+        )
+        session.commit()
+
+    return pending_message
+
+
+class Volume(Protocol):
+    ref: str
+    use_latest: bool
+
+
+def get_volume_refs(content: ExecutableContent) -> List[Volume]:
+    volumes = []
+
+    for volume in content.volumes:
+        if isinstance(volume, ImmutableVolume):
+            volumes.append(volume)
+
+    if isinstance(content, ProgramContent):
+        volumes += [content.code, content.runtime]
+        if content.data:
+            volumes.append(content.data)
+
+    elif isinstance(content, InstanceContent):
+        if parent := content.rootfs.parent:
+            volumes.append(parent)
+
+    return volumes
+
+
+def insert_volume_refs(session: DbSession, message: PendingMessageDb):
+    """
+    Insert volume references in the DB to make the program processable.
+    """
+
+    content = InstanceContent.parse_raw(message.item_content)
+    volumes = get_volume_refs(content)
+
+    created = pytz.utc.localize(dt.datetime(2023, 1, 1))
+
+    for volume in volumes:
+        # Note: we use the reversed ref to generate the file hash for style points,
+        # but it could be set to any valid hash.
+        file_hash = volume.ref[::-1]
+
+        session.add(StoredFileDb(hash=file_hash, size=1024 * 1024, type=FileType.FILE))
+        session.flush()
+        insert_message_file_pin(
+            session=session,
+            file_hash=volume.ref[::-1],
+            owner=content.address,
+            item_hash=volume.ref,
+            ref=None,
+            created=created,
+        )
+        upsert_file_tag(
+            session=session,
+            tag=FileTag(volume.ref),
+            owner=content.address,
+            file_hash=volume.ref[::-1],
+            last_updated=created,
+        )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def user_balance(
+    session_factory: DbSessionFactory, fixture_instance_message
+) -> AlephBalanceDb:
+    balance = AlephBalanceDb(
+        address="0x9319Ad3B7A8E0eE24f2E639c40D8eD124C5520Ba",
+        chain=Chain.ETH,
+        balance=Decimal(22_192),
+        eth_height=0,
+    )
+
+    with session_factory() as session:
+        session.add(balance)
+        session.commit()
+        insert_volume_refs(session, fixture_instance_message)
+        session.commit()
+    return balance
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_balance(ccn_api_client, user_balance: AlephBalanceDb):
+    response = await ccn_api_client.get(MESSAGES_URI)
+    assert response.status == 200, await response.text()
+    data = await response.json()
+    assert data["balance"] == 22192
+    assert data["locked_amount"] == 6