diff --git a/server/v2/stf/branch/bench_test.go b/server/v2/stf/branch/bench_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2e0097ba6535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/v2/stf/branch/bench_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+package branch
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/store"
+	coretesting "cosmossdk.io/core/testing"
+)
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack1_Set(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 1)
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		err := bs.Set([]byte{0}, []byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack10_Set(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 10)
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		err := bs.Set([]byte{0}, []byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack100_Set(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 100)
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		err := bs.Set([]byte{0}, []byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack1_Get(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 1)
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		_, err := bs.Get([]byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack10_Get(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 10)
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		_, err := bs.Get([]byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack100_Get(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 100)
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		_, err := bs.Get([]byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack1_Iterate(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 1)
+	var keySink, valueSink any
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		iter, err := bs.Iterator([]byte{0}, []byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		for iter.Valid() {
+			iter.Next()
+			keySink = iter.Key()
+			valueSink = iter.Value()
+		}
+	}
+
+	_ = keySink
+	_ = valueSink
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack10_Iterate(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 10)
+	var keySink, valueSink any
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		iter, err := bs.Iterator([]byte{0}, []byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		for iter.Valid() {
+			iter.Next()
+			keySink = iter.Key()
+			valueSink = iter.Value()
+		}
+	}
+
+	_ = keySink
+	_ = valueSink
+}
+
+func Benchmark_CacheStack100_Iterate(b *testing.B) {
+	bs := makeBranchStack(b, 100)
+	var keySink, valueSink any
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+	// test sets
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		iter, err := bs.Iterator([]byte{0}, []byte{0})
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		for iter.Valid() {
+			iter.Next()
+			keySink = iter.Key()
+			valueSink = iter.Value()
+		}
+	}
+
+	_ = keySink
+	_ = valueSink
+}
+
+func makeBranchStack(b *testing.B, stackSize int) Store[store.KVStore] {
+	const elems = 10
+	parent := coretesting.NewMemKV()
+	branch := NewStore[store.KVStore](parent)
+	for i := 1; i < stackSize; i++ {
+		branch = NewStore[store.KVStore](branch)
+		for j := 0; j < elems; j++ {
+			key, value := []byte{byte(j)}, []byte{byte(j)}
+			err := branch.Set(key, value)
+			if err != nil {
+				b.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return branch
+}
diff --git a/server/v2/stf/go.mod b/server/v2/stf/go.mod
index 7f55feb3f3f2..c8f18d0bbe04 100644
--- a/server/v2/stf/go.mod
+++ b/server/v2/stf/go.mod
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ module cosmossdk.io/server/v2/stf
 go 1.23
 
 require (
-	cosmossdk.io/core v1.0.0-alpha.4
+	cosmossdk.io/core v1.0.0-alpha.5
+	cosmossdk.io/core/testing v0.0.0
 	cosmossdk.io/schema v0.3.0
 	github.com/cosmos/gogoproto v1.7.0
 	github.com/tidwall/btree v1.7.0
@@ -13,3 +14,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.6.0 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.35.1 // indirect
 )
+
+replace (
+	cosmossdk.io/core/testing => ../../../core/testing
+)
diff --git a/server/v2/stf/go.sum b/server/v2/stf/go.sum
index 29d26cc868dc..3813c60a7c9d 100644
--- a/server/v2/stf/go.sum
+++ b/server/v2/stf/go.sum
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 cosmossdk.io/core v1.0.0-alpha.4 h1:9iuroT9ejDYETCsGkzkvs/wAY/5UFl7nCIINFRxyMJY=
 cosmossdk.io/core v1.0.0-alpha.4/go.mod h1:3u9cWq1FAVtiiCrDPpo4LhR+9V6k/ycSG4/Y/tREWCY=
+cosmossdk.io/core v1.0.0-alpha.5 h1:McjYXAQ6XcT20v2uHyH7PhoWH8V+mebzfVFqT3GinsI=
+cosmossdk.io/core v1.0.0-alpha.5/go.mod h1:3u9cWq1FAVtiiCrDPpo4LhR+9V6k/ycSG4/Y/tREWCY=
 cosmossdk.io/schema v0.3.0 h1:01lcaM4trhzZ1HQTfTV8z6Ma1GziOZ/YmdzBN3F720c=
 cosmossdk.io/schema v0.3.0/go.mod h1:RDAhxIeNB4bYqAlF4NBJwRrgtnciMcyyg0DOKnhNZQQ=
 github.com/cosmos/gogoproto v1.7.0 h1:79USr0oyXAbxg3rspGh/m4SWNyoz/GLaAh0QlCe2fro=