diff --git a/sae/always.go b/sae/always.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d97ed08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/always.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package sae
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/database"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/snow"
+	snowcommon "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/snow/engine/common"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/strevm/adaptor"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/strevm/blocks"
+)
+
+// SinceGenesis is a harness around a [VM], providing an `Initialize` method
+// that treats the chain as being asynchronous since genesis.
+type SinceGenesis struct {
+	*VM
+}
+
+var _ adaptor.ChainVM[*blocks.Block] = (*SinceGenesis)(nil)
+
+// Initialize initializes the VM.
+func (vm *SinceGenesis) Initialize(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	chainCtx *snow.Context,
+	db database.Database,
+	genesisBytes []byte,
+	upgradeBytes []byte,
+	configBytes []byte,
+	toEngine chan<- snowcommon.Message,
+	fxs []*snowcommon.Fx,
+	appSender snowcommon.AppSender,
+) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
diff --git a/sae/blocks.go b/sae/blocks.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..433f7a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/blocks.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package sae
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/database"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/ids"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/libevm/core/types"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/libevm/rlp"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/strevm/blocks"
+)
+
+// ParseBlock parses the buffer as [rlp] encoding of a [types.Block].
+func (vm *VM) ParseBlock(context.Context, []byte) (*blocks.Block, error) {
+	ethB := new(types.Block)
+	_ = rlp.DecodeBytes(nil, ethB)
+	return nil, errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// BuildBlock builds a new block, using the last block passed to
+// [VM.SetPreference] as the parent.
+func (vm *VM) BuildBlock(context.Context) (*blocks.Block, error) {
+	return nil, errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// VerifyBlock validates the block.
+func (vm *VM) VerifyBlock(context.Context, *blocks.Block) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// GetBlock returns the block with the given ID, or [database.ErrNotFound].
+func (vm *VM) GetBlock(context.Context, ids.ID) (*blocks.Block, error) {
+	_ = database.ErrNotFound
+	return nil, errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// GetBlockIDAtHeight returns the accepted block at the given height, or
+// [database.ErrNotFound].
+func (vm *VM) GetBlockIDAtHeight(context.Context, uint64) (ids.ID, error) {
+	return ids.Empty, errUnimplemented
+}
diff --git a/sae/consensus.go b/sae/consensus.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f871033
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/consensus.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package sae
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/ids"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/strevm/blocks"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/strevm/saexec"
+)
+
+// SetPreference updates the VM's currently [preferred block].
+//
+// [preferred block]: https://github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/tree/master/vms#set-preference
+func (vm *VM) SetPreference(context.Context, ids.ID) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// AcceptBlock marks the block as [accepted], resulting in:
+//   - All blocks settled by this block having their [blocks.Block.MarkSettled]
+//     method called; and
+//   - The block being propagated to [saexec.Executor.Enqueue].
+//
+// [accepted]: https://github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/tree/master/vms#block-statuses
+func (vm *VM) AcceptBlock(context.Context, *blocks.Block) error {
+	_ = (*saexec.Executor)(nil)
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// LastAccepted returns the ID of the last block received by [VM.AcceptBlock].
+func (vm *VM) LastAccepted(context.Context) (ids.ID, error) {
+	return ids.Empty, errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// RejectBlock is a no-op in SAE because execution only occurs after acceptance.
+func (vm *VM) RejectBlock(context.Context, *blocks.Block) error {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/sae/health.go b/sae/health.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e2afe7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/health.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package sae
+
+import "context"
+
+// HealthCheck returns the current health status of the VM.
+func (vm *VM) HealthCheck(context.Context) (any, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
diff --git a/sae/http.go b/sae/http.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d7b199
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/http.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package sae
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+)
+
+// CreateHandlers returns all VM-specific HTTP handlers to be exposed by the
+// node, keyed by path.
+func (vm *VM) CreateHandlers(context.Context) (map[string]http.Handler, error) {
+	return nil, errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// CreateHTTP2Handler returns `(nil, nil)`.
+func (vm *VM) CreateHTTP2Handler(ctx context.Context) (http.Handler, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
diff --git a/sae/p2p.go b/sae/p2p.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e5032a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/p2p.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package sae
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/ids"
+	snowcommon "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/snow/engine/common"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/version"
+)
+
+// Connected notifies the VM that a p2p connection has been established with the
+// specified node.
+func (vm *VM) Connected(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	nodeID ids.NodeID,
+	nodeVersion *version.Application,
+) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// Disconnected notifies the VM that the p2p connection with the specified node
+// has terminated.
+func (vm *VM) Disconnected(ctx context.Context, nodeID ids.NodeID) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// AppRequest notifies the VM of an incoming request from the specified node.
+func (vm *VM) AppRequest(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	nodeID ids.NodeID,
+	requestID uint32,
+	deadline time.Time,
+	request []byte,
+) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// AppResponse notifies the VM of an incoming response from the specified node.
+func (vm *VM) AppResponse(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	nodeID ids.NodeID,
+	requestID uint32,
+	response []byte,
+) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// AppRequestFailed notifies the VM that an outgoing request failed.
+func (vm *VM) AppRequestFailed(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	nodeID ids.NodeID,
+	requestID uint32,
+	appErr *snowcommon.AppError,
+) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// AppGossip notifies the VM of gossip from the specified node.
+func (vm *VM) AppGossip(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	nodeID ids.NodeID,
+	msg []byte,
+) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
diff --git a/sae/temporary.go b/sae/temporary.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0bdd1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/temporary.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package sae
+
+// This file MUST be deleted before release. It is intended solely to house
+// interim identifiers needed for development over multiple PRs.
+
+import "errors"
+
+var errUnimplemented = errors.New("unimplemented")
diff --git a/sae/vm.go b/sae/vm.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3566b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sae/vm.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2025, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+// Package sae implements the [Streaming Asynchronous Execution] (SAE) virtual
+// machine to be compatible with Avalanche consensus.
+//
+// [Streaming Asynchronous Execution]: https://github.com/avalanche-foundation/ACPs/tree/main/ACPs/194-streaming-asynchronous-execution
+package sae
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/snow"
+)
+
+// VM implements all of [adaptor.ChainVM] except for the `Initialize` method,
+// which needs to be provided by a harness. In all cases, the harness MUST
+// provide a last-synchronous block, which MAY be the genesis.
+type VM struct{}
+
+// SetState notifies the VM of a transition in the state lifecycle.
+func (vm *VM) SetState(ctx context.Context, state snow.State) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// Shutdown gracefully closes the VM.
+func (vm *VM) Shutdown(context.Context) error {
+	return errUnimplemented
+}
+
+// Version reports the VM's version.
+func (vm *VM) Version(context.Context) (string, error) {
+	return "", errUnimplemented
+}