diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index af41e526..b5a0d13c 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -95,6 +95,22 @@ docs: &docs
           sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install latexmk tex-gyre texlive-fonts-extra
 
+interop: &interop
+  docker:
+    - image: common
+  steps:
+    - run:
+        name: install interop test dependencies
+        command: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install latexmk tex-gyre texlive-fonts-extra
+          wget https://dl.google.com/go/$GOBINPKG
+          sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf $GOBINPKG
+          export GOPATH=$HOME/go
+          export GOROOT=/usr/local/go
+          export PATH=$GOROOT/bin:$GOPATH/bin:$PATH
+          ./tests_interop/go_pkgs/install_interop_go_pkgs.sh
+
 jobs:
   docs:
     <<: *docs
@@ -222,6 +238,37 @@ jobs:
       - <<: *run-tox-step
       - <<: *save-cache-step
 
+  py38-interop:
+    <<: *interop
+    docker:
+      - image: cimg/python:3.8
+        environment:
+          TOXENV: py38-interop
+  py39-interop:
+    <<: *interop
+    docker:
+      - image: cimg/python:3.9
+        environment:
+          TOXENV: py39-interop
+  py310-interop:
+    <<: *interop
+    docker:
+      - image: cimg/python:3.10
+        environment:
+          TOXENV: py310-interop
+  py311-interop:
+    <<: *interop
+    docker:
+      - image: cimg/python:3.11
+        environment:
+          TOXENV: py311-interop
+  py312-interop:
+    <<: *interop
+    docker:
+      - image: cimg/python:3.12
+        environment:
+          TOXENV: py312-interop
+
 workflows:
   version: 2
   test:
@@ -244,3 +291,8 @@ workflows:
       - py312-wheel
       # - py311-windows-wheel
       # - py312-windows-wheel
+      # - py38-interop
+      # - py39-interop
+      # - py310-interop
+      # - py311-interop
+      # - py312-interop
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 31c9669d..d343c7d6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
 
 ## WARNING
 
-py-libp2p is an experimental and work-in-progress repo under heavy development. We do not yet recommend using py-libp2p in production environments.
+py-libp2p is an experimental and work-in-progress repo under development. We do not yet recommend using py-libp2p in production environments.
+Right now, `tests_interop` are turned off for CI, and a number of `tests` are failing.
 
 The Python implementation of the libp2p networking stack
 
@@ -27,50 +28,25 @@ This project is graciously sponsored by the Ethereum Foundation through [Wave 5
 
 ## Maintainers
 
-The py-libp2p team consists of:
+Currently maintained by [@pacrob](https://github.com/pacrob), looking for assistance!
+
+The py-libp2p team previously consisted of:
 
 [@zixuanzh](https://github.com/zixuanzh) [@alexh](https://github.com/alexh) [@stuckinaboot](https://github.com/stuckinaboot) [@robzajac](https://github.com/robzajac) [@carver](https://github.com/carver)
 
 ## Development
 
-py-libp2p requires Python 3.7 and the best way to guarantee a clean Python 3.7 environment is with [`virtualenv`](https://virtualenv.pypa.io/en/stable/)
+py-libp2p requires Python 3.8+ and the best way to guarantee a clean Python environment is with [`virtualenv`](https://virtualenv.pypa.io/en/stable/)
 
 ```sh
 git clone git@github.com:libp2p/py-libp2p.git
 cd py-libp2p
-virtualenv -p python3.7 venv
+virtualenv -p python venv
 . venv/bin/activate
-pip install -e .[dev]
+python -m pip install -e .[dev]
 ```
 
-### Testing Setup
-
-During development, you might like to have tests run on every file save.
-
-Show flake8 errors on file change:
-
-```sh
-# Test flake8
-when-changed -v -s -r -1 libp2p/ tests/ -c "clear; flake8 libp2p tests && echo 'flake8 success' || echo 'error'"
-```
-
-Run multi-process tests in one command, but without color:
-
-```sh
-# in the project root:
-pytest --numprocesses=4 --looponfail --maxfail=1
-# the same thing, succinctly:
-pytest -n 4 -f --maxfail=1
-```
-
-Run in one thread, with color and desktop notifications:
-
-```sh
-cd venv
-ptw --onfail "notify-send -t 5000 'Test failure ⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠' 'python 3 test on py-libp2p failed'" ../tests ../libp2p
-```
-
-Note that tests/libp2p/test_libp2p.py contains an end-to-end messaging test between two libp2p hosts, which is the bulk of our proof of concept.
+Note that tests/test_libp2p/test_libp2p.py contains an end-to-end messaging test between two libp2p hosts, which is the bulk of our proof of concept.
 
 ### Release setup
 
@@ -85,7 +61,7 @@ To release a new version:
 
 > > > > > > > template
 
-The protobuf description in this repository was generated by `protoc` at version `3.7.1`.
+The protobuf description in this repository was generated by `protoc` at version `25.3`.
 
 ## Feature Breakdown
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 2847f71e..401cbff4 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ envlist=
     py{38,39,310,311,312}-wheel
     windows-wheel
     docs
+    py{38,39,310,311,312}-interop
 
 [flake8]
 exclude=venv*,.tox,docs,build,*_pb2*.py