diff --git a/abci/example/orderbook/doc.go b/abci/example/orderbook/doc.go
index 1e524afb3..b2515d7ca 100644
--- a/abci/example/orderbook/doc.go
+++ b/abci/example/orderbook/doc.go
@@ -1,4 +1,19 @@
 //go:generate go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@latest
 //go:generate protoc -I. -I../.. --go_out=. --go_opt=paths=source_relative wire.proto msgs.proto
 
+// The orderbook presents a more advanced example of a Tendermint application than the simple kvstore
+//
+// An orderbook is a tool used in financial markets for enabling trading of various commodities. Without
+// delving into too much detail, an orderbook is made of two types of transactions: Bids and Asks. An Ask
+// is an offer by a seller for n amount of a commodity at an AskPrice and a bid is an offer from a buyer
+// for m amount of a commodity at a BidPrice. When the bid price exceeds the ask price, and the buyer quantity
+// is less than or equal to the sellers quantity, the order is matched. In actual terms, we neglect the
+// underlying denomination (i.e. USD) and effectively both participants are simultaneously a buyer and seller.
+//
+// This example falls far short of being a decentralized orderbook, but demonstrates how one can build an
+// app-side mempool, how one can use PrepareProposal and ProcessProposal to craft complex transactions,
+// how we can use signatures and validate transactions against state. How applications can manage concurrency,
+// and demonstrate the lifecycle of transactions from RPC -> CheckTx -> Mempool -> PrepareProposal -> ProcessProposal
+// -> DeliverTx -> Commit -> Querying
+
 package orderbook
diff --git a/abci/example/orderbook/market.go b/abci/example/orderbook/market.go
index a5d17fc4f..1a99cd2ce 100644
--- a/abci/example/orderbook/market.go
+++ b/abci/example/orderbook/market.go
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@ package orderbook
 
 import (
 	"container/heap"
+	sync "sync"
 )
 
 type Market struct {
-	pair       *Pair      // i.e. EUR/USD (a market is bidirectional)
+	// immutable
+	pair *Pair // i.e. EUR/USD (a market is bidirectional)
+
+	mtx        sync.RWMutex
 	askOrders  *AskOrders // i.e. buying EUR for USD
 	lowestAsk  float64
 	bidOrders  *BidOrders // i.e. selling EUR for USD or  buying USD for EUR
@@ -19,6 +23,8 @@ func NewMarket(p *Pair) *Market {
 }
 
 func (m *Market) AddBid(b *OrderBid) {
+	m.mtx.Lock()
+	defer m.mtx.Unlock()
 	heap.Push(m.bidOrders, b)
 	if b.MaxPrice > m.highestBid {
 		m.highestBid = b.MaxPrice
@@ -26,6 +32,8 @@ func (m *Market) AddBid(b *OrderBid) {
 }
 
 func (m *Market) AddAsk(a *OrderAsk) {
+	m.mtx.Lock()
+	defer m.mtx.Unlock()
 	heap.Push(m.askOrders, a)
 	if a.AskPrice < m.lowestAsk || m.lowestAsk == 0 {
 		m.lowestAsk = a.AskPrice
@@ -36,6 +44,8 @@ func (m *Market) AddAsk(a *OrderAsk) {
 // A bid matches an ask when the MaxPrice is greater than the AskPrice
 // and the MaxQuantity is greater than the quantity.
 func (m *Market) Match() *TradeSet {
+	m.mtx.Lock()
+	defer m.mtx.Unlock()
 	// if one side doesn't have any orders than there is nothing to match
 	// and we return early
 	if m.askOrders.Len() == 0 || m.bidOrders.Len() == 0 {
@@ -147,13 +157,37 @@ OUTER_LOOP:
 }
 
 func (m Market) LowestAsk() float64 {
+	m.mtx.RLock()
+	defer m.mtx.RUnlock()
 	return m.lowestAsk
 }
 
 func (m Market) HighestBid() float64 {
+	m.mtx.RLock()
+	defer m.mtx.RUnlock()
 	return m.highestBid
 }
 
+func (m Market) GetBids() []OrderBid {
+	m.mtx.RLock()
+	defer m.mtx.RUnlock()
+	orders := make([]OrderBid, m.bidOrders.Len())
+	for idx, order := range *m.bidOrders {
+		orders[idx] = *order
+	}
+	return orders
+}
+
+func (m Market) GetAsks() []OrderAsk {
+	m.mtx.RLock()
+	defer m.mtx.RUnlock()
+	orders := make([]OrderAsk, m.askOrders.Len())
+	for idx, order := range *m.askOrders {
+		orders[idx] = *order
+	}
+	return orders
+}
+
 // Heap ordered by lowest price
 type AskOrders []*OrderAsk
 
diff --git a/abci/example/orderbook/query.go b/abci/example/orderbook/query.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..649dd1190
--- /dev/null
+++ b/abci/example/orderbook/query.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package orderbook
+
+// Query the state of an account (returns a concrete copy)
+func (sm *StateMachine) Account(id uint64) Account {
+	if int(id) >= len(sm.accounts) {
+		return Account{}
+	}
+	return *sm.accounts[id]
+}
+
+// Query all the pairs that the orderbook has (returns a concrete copy)
+func (sm *StateMachine) Pairs() []Pair {
+	pairs := make([]Pair, len(sm.pairs))
+	idx := 0
+	for _, pair := range sm.pairs {
+		pairs[idx] = *pair
+		idx++
+	}
+	return pairs
+}
+
+// Query the current orders for a pair (returns concrete copies)
+func (sm *StateMachine) Orders(pair *Pair) ([]OrderBid, []OrderAsk) {
+	market, ok := sm.markets[pair.String()]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return market.GetBids(), market.GetAsks()
+}
+
+func (sm *StateMachine) Height() int64 { return sm.lastHeight }