diff --git a/app/src/lib/graphql/documents/transfers.ts b/app/src/lib/graphql/documents/transfers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f3d9eaaa76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/lib/graphql/documents/transfers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { graphql } from "gql.tada"
+
+export const transfersQuery = graphql(/* GraphQL */ `
+query PacketsQuery($limit: Int = 100) {
+  v0_packets(limit: $limit, order_by: {destination_time: desc_nulls_last, source_time: desc_nulls_last}) {
+    from_chain_id
+    from_channel_id
+    source_port
+    source_block_hash
+    source_time
+    to_chain_id
+    to_channel_id
+    to_port_id
+    destination_block_hash
+    destination_time
+    source_data
+    status
+  }
+}
+`)
diff --git a/app/src/lib/queries/balance.ts b/app/src/lib/queries/balance.ts
index 288968007d..57cc1a967c 100644
--- a/app/src/lib/queries/balance.ts
+++ b/app/src/lib/queries/balance.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { createQuery } from "@tanstack/svelte-query"
 import type { ChainId } from "$/lib/constants/assets.ts"
 import { isValidEvmAddress } from "$lib/wallet/utilities/validate"
 import { isValidCosmosAddress } from "$lib/wallet/utilities/validate";
+import { raise } from "$lib/utilities/index.ts";
 
 /**
  * TODO:
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ export function evmBalancesQuery({
     queryKey: ["balances", chainId, address],
     enabled: isValidEvmAddress(address),
     refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
-    refetchInterval: 1_000,
+    refetchInterval: 10_000,
     queryFn: async () => {
       const assetsToCheck =
         "contractAddresses" in restParams && Array.isArray(restParams.contractAddresses)
@@ -75,18 +76,30 @@ export function evmBalancesQuery({
               ["erc20", "DEFAULT_TOKENS"].includes(restParams.tokenSpecification)
             ? restParams.tokenSpecification // if tokenSpecification is a string, use it
             : "DEFAULT_TOKENS"
-      console.log(address, assetsToCheck)
-      const response = await fetch(`https://eth-sepolia.g.alchemy.com/v2/${KEY.RPC.ALCHEMY}`, {
-        method: "POST",
-        body: JSON.stringify({
-          id: 1,
-          jsonrpc: "2.0",
-          method: "alchemy_getTokenBalances",
-          params: [address, assetsToCheck]
-        })
-      })
-      const result = v.safeParse(evmBalancesResponseSchema, await response.json())
-      if (!result.success) throw new Error(`Error parsing result ${JSON.stringify(result.issues)}`);
+
+      let json: undefined | unknown;
+      
+      try { 
+        const response = await fetch(`https://eth-sepolia.g.alchemy.com/v2/${KEY.RPC.ALCHEMY}`, {
+          method: "POST",
+          body: JSON.stringify({
+            id: 1,
+            jsonrpc: "2.0",
+            method: "alchemy_getTokenBalances",
+            params: [address, assetsToCheck]
+          })
+        }); 
+        if (!response.ok) raise("error fetching from alchemy: non-200 status");
+        json = await response.json();
+      } catch(err) {
+        if (err instanceof Error) {
+          raise(`error fetching from alchemy: ${err.message}`);
+        }
+        raise(`unknown error while fetching from alchemy: ${JSON.stringify(err)}`);
+      }
+      const result = v.safeParse(evmBalancesResponseSchema, json)
+
+      if (!result.success) raise(`error parsing result ${JSON.stringify(result.issues)}`);
 
       const tokensInfo = await getEvmTokensInfo(
         result.output.result.tokenBalances.map(({ contractAddress }) => contractAddress)
diff --git a/app/src/routes/+page.svelte b/app/src/routes/+page.svelte
index a2dc83a4f6..419ac88dcd 100644
--- a/app/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/app/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,35 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 import * as Card from "$lib/components/ui/card/index.ts"
+import { sepoliaStore } from "$lib/wallet/evm/config.ts"
+import { cosmosStore } from "$lib/wallet/cosmos"
+    import AlphaNotice from "$lib/components/alpha-notice.svelte";
+    import { summarizeString } from "$lib/utilities/format";
+
 </script>
 
 <main class="flex flex-col items-center size-full p-4 mt-16">
+  <Card.Root class="max-w-lg">
+    <Card.Header>
+      <Card.Title>Welcome to Union</Card.Title>
+    </Card.Header>
+    <Card.Content class="flex flex-col gap-2">
+      <p>Connect an <b>EVM</b> and <b>Cosmos</b> wallet to begin bridging.</p>
+
+      <div>
+        {#if $sepoliaStore.address }
+          ✅ EVM wallet <span class="font-mono">{summarizeString($sepoliaStore.address, 6)}</span> connected
+        {:else}
+          Connect EVM wallet
+        {/if}
+      </div>
 
+      <div>
+        {#if $cosmosStore.address }
+          ✅Cosmos wallet connected
+        {:else}
+          Connect cosmos wallet
+        {/if}
+      </div>
+    </Card.Content>
+  </Card.Root>
 </main>
diff --git a/app/src/routes/balance/+page.svelte b/app/src/routes/balance/+page.svelte
index ea42b9f72f..b1d9b98f4c 100644
--- a/app/src/routes/balance/+page.svelte
+++ b/app/src/routes/balance/+page.svelte
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
     chainId: 'union-testnet-8',
     address: $cosmosStore.address
   })
-
 </script>
 
 
@@ -26,7 +25,7 @@
     {#if $evmBalances.isLoading}
       Loading...
     {:else if $evmBalances.isError}
-      {$evmBalances.error.message}
+      Error: {$evmBalances.error.message}
     {:else if $evmBalances.isSuccess}
       <div>
         {#each $evmBalances.data as asset}
@@ -37,7 +36,6 @@
   {:else}
     <p>Connect your EVM wallet to continue</p>
   {/if}
-
 </div>