diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index cd945c78..d278a72d 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
-benchmarking-tests export-ignore
 deploy-cluster-aws export-ignore
 docs export-ignore
 ntools export-ignore
-speed-tests export-ignore
 tests export-ignore
 .gitattributes export-ignore
 .gitignore export-ignore
 .travis.yml export-ignore
 *.md export-ignore
-codecov.yml export-ignore
\ No newline at end of file
+codecov.yml export-ignore
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index efa00db2..7aba48d1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -71,8 +71,6 @@ deploy-cluster-aws/confiles/
 deploy-cluster-aws/client_confile
 deploy-cluster-aws/hostlist.py
 deploy-cluster-aws/ssh_key.py
-benchmarking-tests/hostlist.py
-benchmarking-tests/ssh_key.py
 
 # Ansible-specific files
 ntools/one-m/ansible/hosts
diff --git a/benchmarking-tests/README.md b/benchmarking-tests/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index d94ec70b..00000000
--- a/benchmarking-tests/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-# Benchmarking tests
-
-This folder contains util files and test case folders to benchmark the performance of a BigchainDB cluster.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/benchmarking-tests/benchmark_utils.py b/benchmarking-tests/benchmark_utils.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d7418a36..00000000
--- a/benchmarking-tests/benchmark_utils.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,154 +0,0 @@
-import multiprocessing as mp
-import uuid
-import argparse
-import csv
-import time
-import logging
-import rethinkdb as r
-
-from bigchaindb.common.transaction import Transaction
-
-from bigchaindb import Bigchain
-from bigchaindb.utils import ProcessGroup
-from bigchaindb.commands import utils
-
-
-SIZE_OF_FILLER = {'minimal': 0,
-                  'small': 10**3,
-                  'medium': 10**4,
-                  'large': 10**5}
-
-
-logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-
-def create_write_transaction(tx_left, payload_filler):
-    b = Bigchain()
-    payload_dict = {}
-    if payload_filler:
-        payload_dict['filler'] = payload_filler
-    while tx_left > 0:
-        # Include a random uuid string in the payload
-        # to prevent duplicate transactions
-        # (i.e. transactions with the same hash)
-        payload_dict['msg'] = str(uuid.uuid4())
-        tx = Transaction.create([b.me], [b.me], payload=payload_dict)
-        tx = tx.sign([b.me_private])
-        b.write_transaction(tx)
-        tx_left -= 1
-
-
-def run_add_backlog(args):
-    tx_left = args.num_transactions // mp.cpu_count()
-    payload_filler = 'x' * SIZE_OF_FILLER[args.payload_size]
-    workers = ProcessGroup(target=create_write_transaction,
-                           args=(tx_left, payload_filler))
-    workers.start()
-
-
-def run_gather_metrics(args):
-    # setup a rethinkdb connection
-    conn = r.connect(args.bigchaindb_host, 28015, 'bigchain')
-
-    # setup csv writer
-    csv_file = open(args.csvfile, 'w')
-    csv_writer = csv.writer(csv_file)
-
-    # query for the number of transactions on the backlog
-    num_transactions = r.table('backlog').count().run(conn)
-    num_transactions_received = 0
-    initial_time = None
-    logger.info('Starting gathering metrics.')
-    logger.info('{} transasctions in the backlog'.format(num_transactions))
-    logger.info('This process should exit automatically. '
-                'If this does not happen you can exit at any time using Ctrl-C '
-                'saving all the metrics gathered up to this point.')
-
-    logger.info('\t{:<20} {:<20} {:<20} {:<20}'.format(
-        'timestamp',
-        'tx in block',
-        'tx/s',
-        '% complete'
-    ))
-
-    # listen to the changefeed
-    try:
-        for change in r.table('bigchain').changes().run(conn):
-            # check only for new blocks
-            if change['old_val'] is None:
-                block_num_transactions = len(
-                    change['new_val']['block']['transactions']
-                )
-                time_now = time.time()
-                csv_writer.writerow(
-                    [str(time_now), str(block_num_transactions)]
-                )
-
-                # log statistics
-                if initial_time is None:
-                    initial_time = time_now
-
-                num_transactions_received += block_num_transactions
-                elapsed_time = time_now - initial_time
-                percent_complete = round(
-                    (num_transactions_received / num_transactions) * 100
-                )
-
-                if elapsed_time != 0:
-                    transactions_per_second = round(
-                        num_transactions_received / elapsed_time
-                    )
-                else:
-                    transactions_per_second = float('nan')
-
-                logger.info('\t{:<20} {:<20} {:<20} {:<20}'.format(
-                    time_now,
-                    block_num_transactions,
-                    transactions_per_second,
-                    percent_complete
-                ))
-
-                if (num_transactions - num_transactions_received) == 0:
-                    break
-    except KeyboardInterrupt:
-        logger.info('Interrupted. Exiting early...')
-    finally:
-        # close files
-        csv_file.close()
-
-
-def main():
-    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='BigchainDB benchmarking utils')
-    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(title='Commands', dest='command')
-
-    # add transactions to backlog
-    backlog_parser = subparsers.add_parser('add-backlog',
-                                           help='Add transactions to the backlog')
-    backlog_parser.add_argument('num_transactions',
-                                metavar='num_transactions',
-                                type=int, default=0,
-                                help='Number of transactions to add to the backlog')
-    backlog_parser.add_argument('-s', '--payload-size',
-                                choices=SIZE_OF_FILLER.keys(),
-                                default='minimal',
-                                help='Payload size')
-
-    # metrics
-    metrics_parser = subparsers.add_parser('gather-metrics',
-                                           help='Gather metrics to a csv file')
-
-    metrics_parser.add_argument('-b', '--bigchaindb-host',
-                                required=True,
-                                help=('Bigchaindb node hostname to connect '
-                                      'to gather cluster metrics'))
-
-    metrics_parser.add_argument('-c', '--csvfile',
-                                required=True,
-                                help='Filename to save the metrics')
-
-    utils.start(parser, globals())
-
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    main()
diff --git a/benchmarking-tests/fabfile.py b/benchmarking-tests/fabfile.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0dd4e964..00000000
--- a/benchmarking-tests/fabfile.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-from __future__ import with_statement, unicode_literals
-
-from fabric.api import sudo, env, hosts
-from fabric.api import task, parallel
-from fabric.contrib.files import sed
-from fabric.operations import run, put
-from fabric.context_managers import settings
-
-from hostlist import public_dns_names
-from ssh_key import ssh_key_path
-
-# Ignore known_hosts
-# http://docs.fabfile.org/en/1.10/usage/env.html#disable-known-hosts
-env.disable_known_hosts = True
-
-# What remote servers should Fabric connect to? With what usernames?
-env.user = 'ubuntu'
-env.hosts = public_dns_names
-
-# SSH key files to try when connecting:
-# http://docs.fabfile.org/en/1.10/usage/env.html#key-filename
-env.key_filename = ssh_key_path
-
-
-@task
-@parallel
-def put_benchmark_utils():
-    put('benchmark_utils.py')
-
-
-@task
-@parallel
-def prepare_backlog(num_transactions=10000):
-    run('python3 benchmark_utils.py add-backlog {}'.format(num_transactions))
-
-
-@task
-@parallel
-def start_bigchaindb():
-    run('screen -d -m bigchaindb start &', pty=False)
-
-
-@task
-@parallel
-def kill_bigchaindb():
-    run('killall bigchaindb')
diff --git a/benchmarking-tests/test1/README.md b/benchmarking-tests/test1/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 38a4569b..00000000
--- a/benchmarking-tests/test1/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-# Transactions per second
-
-Measure how many blocks per second are created on the _bigchain_ with a pre filled backlog.
-
-1. Deploy an aws cluster https://docs.bigchaindb.com/projects/server/en/latest/clusters-feds/aws-testing-cluster.html
-2. Make a symbolic link to hostlist.py: `ln -s ../deploy-cluster-aws/hostlist.py .`
-3. Make a symbolic link to bigchaindb.pem:
-```bash
-mkdir pem
-cd pem
-ln -s ../deploy-cluster-aws/pem/bigchaindb.pem .
-```
-
-Then:
-
-```bash
-fab put_benchmark_utils
-fab prepare_backlog:<num txs per node> # wait for process to finish
-fab start_bigchaindb
-```
diff --git a/codecov.yml b/codecov.yml
index 547c6b99..0ab4582d 100644
--- a/codecov.yml
+++ b/codecov.yml
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ coverage:
     - "docs/*"
     - "tests/*"
     - "bigchaindb/version.py"
-    - "benchmarking-tests/*"
-    - "speed-tests/*"
     - "ntools/*"
     - "k8s/*"
 
diff --git a/speed-tests/README.md b/speed-tests/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 7b07d338..00000000
--- a/speed-tests/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-# Speed Tests
-
-This folder contains tests related to the code performance of a single node.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/speed-tests/speed_tests.py b/speed-tests/speed_tests.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 87a81b0f..00000000
--- a/speed-tests/speed_tests.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,97 +0,0 @@
-import json
-import time
-
-import rapidjson
-from line_profiler import LineProfiler
-
-import bigchaindb
-
-# BIG TODO: Adjust for new transaction model
-
-
-def speedtest_validate_transaction():
-    # create a transaction
-    b = bigchaindb.Bigchain()
-    tx = b.create_transaction(b.me, b.me, None, 'CREATE')
-    tx_signed = b.sign_transaction(tx, b.me_private)
-
-    # setup the profiler
-    profiler = LineProfiler()
-    profiler.enable_by_count()
-    profiler.add_function(bigchaindb.Bigchain.validate_transaction)
-
-    # validate_transaction 1000 times
-    for i in range(1000):
-        b.validate_transaction(tx_signed)
-
-    profiler.print_stats()
-
-
-def speedtest_serialize_block_json():
-    # create a block
-    b = bigchaindb.Bigchain()
-    tx = b.create_transaction(b.me, b.me, None, 'CREATE')
-    tx_signed = b.sign_transaction(tx, b.me_private)
-    block = b.create_block([tx_signed] * 1000)
-
-    time_start = time.time()
-    for _ in range(1000):
-        _ = json.dumps(block, skipkeys=False, ensure_ascii=False, sort_keys=True)
-    time_elapsed = time.time() - time_start
-
-    print('speedtest_serialize_block_json: {} s'.format(time_elapsed))
-
-
-def speedtest_serialize_block_rapidjson():
-    # create a block
-    b = bigchaindb.Bigchain()
-    tx = b.create_transaction(b.me, b.me, None, 'CREATE')
-    tx_signed = b.sign_transaction(tx, b.me_private)
-    block = b.create_block([tx_signed] * 1000)
-
-    time_start = time.time()
-    for _ in range(1000):
-        _ = rapidjson.dumps(block, skipkeys=False, ensure_ascii=False, sort_keys=True)
-    time_elapsed = time.time() - time_start
-
-    print('speedtest_serialize_block_rapidjson: {} s'.format(time_elapsed))
-
-
-def speedtest_deserialize_block_json():
-    # create a block
-    b = bigchaindb.Bigchain()
-    tx = b.create_transaction(b.me, b.me, None, 'CREATE')
-    tx_signed = b.sign_transaction(tx, b.me_private)
-    block = b.create_block([tx_signed] * 1000)
-    block_serialized = json.dumps(block, skipkeys=False, ensure_ascii=False, sort_keys=True)
-
-    time_start = time.time()
-    for _ in range(1000):
-        _ = json.loads(block_serialized)
-    time_elapsed = time.time() - time_start
-
-    print('speedtest_deserialize_block_json: {} s'.format(time_elapsed))
-
-
-def speedtest_deserialize_block_rapidjson():
-    # create a block
-    b = bigchaindb.Bigchain()
-    tx = b.create_transaction(b.me, b.me, None, 'CREATE')
-    tx_signed = b.sign_transaction(tx, b.me_private)
-    block = b.create_block([tx_signed] * 1000)
-    block_serialized = rapidjson.dumps(block, skipkeys=False, ensure_ascii=False, sort_keys=True)
-
-    time_start = time.time()
-    for _ in range(1000):
-        _ = rapidjson.loads(block_serialized)
-    time_elapsed = time.time() - time_start
-
-    print('speedtest_deserialize_block_rapidjson: {} s'.format(time_elapsed))
-
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    speedtest_validate_transaction()
-    speedtest_serialize_block_json()
-    speedtest_serialize_block_rapidjson()
-    speedtest_deserialize_block_json()
-    speedtest_deserialize_block_rapidjson()