diff --git a/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter.go b/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter.go
index 569687c801..4614cfa567 100644
--- a/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter.go
+++ b/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter.go
@@ -99,13 +99,13 @@ func (w *AtxWriter) Start(ctx context.Context) {
 			if err := w.db.WithTx(ctx, func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
 				var err error
 				for _, item := range batch {
-					err = atxs.Add(tx, item.atx, item.watx.Blob())
+					err = atxs.Add(tx, item.Atx, item.Watx.Blob())
 					if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, sql.ErrObjectExists) {
 						WriteBatchErrorsCount.Inc()
 						return fmt.Errorf("add atx to db: %w", err)
 					}
-					err = atxs.SetPost(tx, item.atx.ID(), item.watx.PrevATXID, 0,
-						item.atx.SmesherID, item.watx.NumUnits)
+					err = atxs.SetPost(tx, item.Atx.ID(), item.Watx.PrevATXID, 0,
+						item.Atx.SmesherID, item.Watx.NumUnits)
 					if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, sql.ErrObjectExists) {
 						WriteBatchErrorsCount.Inc()
 						return fmt.Errorf("set atx units: %w", err)
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func (w *AtxWriter) Store(atx *types.ActivationTx, watx *wire.ActivationTxV1) (<
 	if !w.running {
 		w.timer.Reset(writerDelay)
 	}
-	w.atxBatch[atx.ID()] = atxBatchItem{atx: atx, watx: watx}
+	w.atxBatch[atx.ID()] = atxBatchItem{Atx: atx, Watx: watx}
 	br := w.atxBatchResult
 	c := br.doneC
 	return c, br.Error
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ func (b *batchResult) Error() error {
 }
 
 type atxBatchItem struct {
-	atx  *types.ActivationTx
-	watx *wire.ActivationTxV1
+	Atx  *types.ActivationTx
+	Watx *wire.ActivationTxV1
 }
 
 type db interface {
diff --git a/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter_test.go b/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter_test.go
index 58c3175166..49c82207b9 100644
--- a/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter_test.go
+++ b/activation/atxwriter/atxwriter_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package atxwriter_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -10,9 +11,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/common/types"
 	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql"
 	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql/atxs"
+	"github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh/sql/migrations"
 	"github.com/spacemeshos/merkle-tree"
 	poetShared "github.com/spacemeshos/poet/shared"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
 )
 
@@ -90,6 +93,90 @@ func TestWriteCoalesce_MultipleBatches(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
+func BenchmarkWriteCoalesing(b *testing.B) {
+	a := make([]atxwriter.AtxBatchItem, 100000)
+	for i := 0; i < len(a); i++ {
+		goldenATXID := types.RandomATXID()
+		wAtx := newInitialATXv1(goldenATXID)
+		atx := toAtx(wAtx)
+		a[i] = atxwriter.AtxBatchItem{Atx: atx, Watx: wAtx}
+	}
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.Run("No Coalesing", func(b *testing.B) {
+		db := newDiskSqlite(b)
+		b.ResetTimer()
+		for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+			if err := db.WithTx(context.Background(), func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
+				var err error
+				err = atxs.Add(tx, a[i].Atx, a[i].Watx.Blob())
+				if err != nil {
+					b.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				err = atxs.SetPost(tx, a[i].Atx.ID(), a[i].Watx.PrevATXID, 0,
+					a[i].Atx.SmesherID, a[i].Watx.NumUnits)
+				if err != nil {
+					b.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				return nil
+			}); err != nil {
+				b.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+	})
+
+	// with the coalesing tests, one must take the "ns/op" metrics and divide it
+	// by the number of entries written together to see how many items we're doing
+	// per time unit.
+	b.Run("Coalesing 1000 entries", func(b *testing.B) {
+		db := newDiskSqlite(b)
+		b.ResetTimer()
+		for j := 0; j < b.N; j++ {
+			if err := db.WithTx(context.Background(), func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
+				var err error
+				for i := (j * 1000); i < (j*1000)+1000; i++ {
+					err = atxs.Add(tx, a[i].Atx, a[i].Watx.Blob())
+					if err != nil {
+						b.Fatal(err)
+					}
+					err = atxs.SetPost(tx, a[i].Atx.ID(), a[i].Watx.PrevATXID, 0,
+						a[i].Atx.SmesherID, a[i].Watx.NumUnits)
+					if err != nil {
+						b.Fatal(err)
+					}
+				}
+				return nil
+			}); err != nil {
+				b.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+	})
+
+	b.Run("Coalesing 5000 entries", func(b *testing.B) {
+		db := newDiskSqlite(b)
+		b.ResetTimer()
+		for j := 0; j < b.N; j++ {
+			if err := db.WithTx(context.Background(), func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
+				var err error
+				for i := (j * 5000); i < (j*5000)+5000; i++ {
+					err = atxs.Add(tx, a[i].Atx, a[i].Watx.Blob())
+					if err != nil {
+						b.Fatal(err)
+					}
+					err = atxs.SetPost(tx, a[i].Atx.ID(), a[i].Watx.PrevATXID, 0,
+						a[i].Atx.SmesherID, a[i].Watx.NumUnits)
+					if err != nil {
+						b.Fatal(err)
+					}
+				}
+				return nil
+			}); err != nil {
+				b.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 func toAtx(watx *wire.ActivationTxV1) *types.ActivationTx {
 	atx := wire.ActivationTxFromWireV1(watx)
 	atx.SetReceived(time.Now())
@@ -98,7 +185,7 @@ func toAtx(watx *wire.ActivationTxV1) *types.ActivationTx {
 	return atx
 }
 
-func newTestAtxWriter(t *testing.T) (*atxwriter.AtxWriter, *sql.Database) {
+func newTestAtxWriter(t testing.TB) (*atxwriter.AtxWriter, *sql.Database) {
 	t.Helper()
 	db := sql.InMemoryTest(t)
 	log := zaptest.NewLogger(t)
@@ -116,6 +203,26 @@ func newTestAtxWriter(t *testing.T) (*atxwriter.AtxWriter, *sql.Database) {
 	return w, db
 }
 
+func newDiskSqlite(tb testing.TB) *sql.Database {
+	tb.Helper()
+	m21 := migrations.New0021Migration(zap.NewNop(), 1_000_000)
+	migrations, err := sql.StateMigrations()
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	dbopts := []sql.Opt{
+		sql.WithMigrations(migrations),
+		sql.WithMigration(m21),
+	}
+	dir := tb.TempDir()
+	sqlDB, err := sql.Open("file:"+filepath.Join(dir, "sql.sql"), dbopts...)
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	tb.Cleanup(func() { sqlDB.Close() })
+	return sqlDB
+}
+
 func newInitialATXv1(
 	goldenATXID types.ATXID,
 	opts ...func(*wire.ActivationTxV1),
diff --git a/activation/atxwriter/export_test.go b/activation/atxwriter/export_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab4f9f70c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activation/atxwriter/export_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+package atxwriter
+
+type AtxBatchItem = atxBatchItem