diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f2a978e42..af23dff9a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ A complete toolkit for the NEO blockchain, including:
 - [CLI tool](docs/cli.md)
 - [Smart contract compiler](docs/compiler.md)
 - [NEO virtual machine](docs/vm.md)
+- [Smart contract examples](examples/README.md)
 
 This branch (**master**) is under active development now (read: won't work
 out of the box) and aims to be compatible with Neo 3. For the current stable
@@ -116,6 +117,9 @@ and private network. For details on how Go code is translated to Neo VM
 bytecode and what you can and can not do in smart contract please refer to the
 [compiler documentation](docs/compiler.md).
 
+Refer to [examples](examples/README.md) for more NEO smart contract examples 
+written in Go.
+
 ## Wallets
 
 NeoGo differs substantially from C# implementation in its approach to
diff --git a/cli/contract_test.go b/cli/contract_test.go
index 87fee7919..31cab9456 100644
--- a/cli/contract_test.go
+++ b/cli/contract_test.go
@@ -475,6 +475,11 @@ func TestCompileExamples(t *testing.T) {
 	e := newExecutor(t, false)
 
 	for _, info := range infos {
+		if !info.IsDir() {
+			// example smart contracts are located in the `/examples` subdirectories, but
+			// there are also a couple of files inside the `/examples` which doesn't need to be compiled
+			continue
+		}
 		t.Run(info.Name(), func(t *testing.T) {
 			infos, err := ioutil.ReadDir(path.Join(examplePath, info.Name()))
 			require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..362aa9318
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# NEO-GO smart contract examples
+
+`examples` directory contains smart contract examples written in Go. 
+These examples are aimed to demonstrate the basic usage of Go programming 
+language to write NEO smart contracts as far as to provide a brief introduction
+to the NEO-specific interop package application.
+
+## Examples structure
+
+Each example represents a separate folder with the smart contract content inside.
+The content is presented by the smart contract code written in Go and the smart
+contract configuration file with `.yml` extension.
+
+Some contracts have a contract owner, which is needed for witness checking and 
+represented by the `owner` string constant inside the smart contract code. The 
+owner account address is taken from the [my_wallet.json](my_wallet.json). The 
+wallet is located under the `examples` directory, has a single account inside 
+with the `my_account` label which can be decrypted with the `qwerty` password. 
+You can use `my_wallet.json` to deploy example contracts.
+
+See the table below for the detailed examples description.
+
+| Example | Description |
+| --- | --- |
+| [engine](engine) | This contract demonstrates how to use `runtime` interop package which implements an API for `System.Runtime.*` NEO system calls. Please, refer to the `runtime` [package documentation](../pkg/interop/doc.go) for details. |
+| [events](events) | The contract shows how execution notifications with the different arguments types can be sent with the help of `runtime.Notify` function of the `runtime` interop package. Please, refer to the `runtime.Notify` [function documentation](../pkg/interop/runtime/runtime.go) for details. |
+| [iterator](iterator) | This example describes a way to work with NEO iterators. Please, refer to the `iterator` [package documentation](../pkg/interop/iterator/iterator.go) for details. |
+| [runtime](runtime) | This contract demonstrates how to use special `_initialize` and `_deploy` methods. See the [compiler documentation](../docs/compiler.md#vm-api-interop-layer ) for methods details. It also shows the pattern for checking owner witness inside the contract with the help of `runtime.CheckWitness` interop [function](../pkg/interop/runtime/runtime.go). |
+| [storage](storage) | The contract implements API for basic operations with a contract storage. It shows hos to use `storage` interop package. See the `storage` [package documentation](../pkg/interop/storage/storage.go). |
+| [timer](timer) | The idea of the contract is to count `tick` method invocations and destroy itself after the third invocation. It shows how to use `contract.Call` interop function to call, update (migrate) and destroy the contract. Please, refer to the `contract.Call` [function documentation](../pkg/interop/contract/contract.go) |
+| [token](token) | This contract implements NEP17 token standard (like NEO and GAS tokens) with all required methods and operations. See the NEP17 token standard [specification](https://github.com/neo-project/proposals/pull/126) for details. |
+| [token-sale](token-sale) | The contract represents a token with `allowance`. It means that the token owner should approve token withdrawing before the transfer. The contract demonstrates how interop packages can be combined to work together. |
+
+## Compile
+
+Please, refer to the neo-go
+[smart contract compiler documentation](../docs/compiler.md) to compile example
+smart contracts.
+
+## Deploy
+
+You can set up neo-go private network to deploy the example contracts. Please, 
+refer to the [consensus documentation](../docs/consensus.md) to start your own 
+privnet with neo-go nodes.
+
+To deploy smart contracts, refer to the 
+[Deploying section](../docs/compiler.md#deploying) of the compiler documentation.
+
+## Where to start
+
+Feel free to explore neo-go smart contract development 
+[workshop](https://github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go-sc-wrkshp) to get the basic
+concepts of how to develop, compile, debug and deploy NEO smart contracts written
+in go.
+
+
+
diff --git a/examples/my_wallet.json b/examples/my_wallet.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8740d8757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/my_wallet.json
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+{
+  "version" : "3.0",
+  "scrypt" : {
+    "p" : 8,
+    "r" : 8,
+    "n" : 16384
+  },
+  "accounts" : [
+    {
+      "isdefault" : false,
+      "contract" : {
+        "parameters" : [
+          {
+            "name" : "parameter0",
+            "type" : "Signature"
+          }
+        ],
+        "script" : "DCEDhEhWuuSSNuCc7nLsxQhI8nFlt+UfY3oP0/UkYmdH7G5BdHR2qg==",
+        "deployed" : false
+      },
+      "key" : "6PYUz1rNSwDf9ad1vxYbJyK93GrnnPBhr819HgSefMvgU1H9QxqVVCZQtN",
+      "lock" : false,
+      "label" : "my_account",
+      "address" : "NX1yL5wDx3inK2qUVLRVaqCLUxYnAbv85S"
+    }
+  ],
+  "extra" : {
+    "Tokens" : null
+  }
+}
diff --git a/examples/runtime/runtime.go b/examples/runtime/runtime.go
index aa0d04255..102bbf628 100644
--- a/examples/runtime/runtime.go
+++ b/examples/runtime/runtime.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	// Check if the invoker of the contract is the specified owner
-	owner   = util.FromAddress("NULwe3UAHckN2fzNdcVg31tDiaYtMDwANt")
+	owner   = util.FromAddress("NX1yL5wDx3inK2qUVLRVaqCLUxYnAbv85S")
 	trigger byte
 )
 
diff --git a/examples/timer/timer.go b/examples/timer/timer.go
index 6cbc02d2f..acf27a910 100644
--- a/examples/timer/timer.go
+++ b/examples/timer/timer.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ var (
 	// ctx holds storage context for contract methods
 	ctx storage.Context
 	// Check if the invoker of the contract is the specified owner
-	owner = util.FromAddress("NULwe3UAHckN2fzNdcVg31tDiaYtMDwANt")
+	owner = util.FromAddress("NX1yL5wDx3inK2qUVLRVaqCLUxYnAbv85S")
 	// ticksKey is a storage key for ticks counter
 	ticksKey = []byte("ticks")
 )
diff --git a/examples/token-sale/token_sale.go b/examples/token-sale/token_sale.go
index d75cf32ad..314f3c891 100644
--- a/examples/token-sale/token_sale.go
+++ b/examples/token-sale/token_sale.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	owner   = util.FromAddress("NULwe3UAHckN2fzNdcVg31tDiaYtMDwANt")
+	owner   = util.FromAddress("NX1yL5wDx3inK2qUVLRVaqCLUxYnAbv85S")
 	trigger byte
 	token   TokenConfig
 	ctx     storage.Context
diff --git a/examples/token/token.go b/examples/token/token.go
index f0a7eb09c..fcda064fa 100644
--- a/examples/token/token.go
+++ b/examples/token/token.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	owner = util.FromAddress("NULwe3UAHckN2fzNdcVg31tDiaYtMDwANt")
+	owner = util.FromAddress("NX1yL5wDx3inK2qUVLRVaqCLUxYnAbv85S")
 	token nep17.Token
 	ctx   storage.Context
 )
diff --git a/pkg/compiler/compiler_test.go b/pkg/compiler/compiler_test.go
index 7ea0e8f65..89223b56e 100644
--- a/pkg/compiler/compiler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/compiler/compiler_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ func TestCompiler(t *testing.T) {
 				infos, err := ioutil.ReadDir(examplePath)
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 				for _, info := range infos {
+					if !info.IsDir() {
+						// example smart contracts are located in the `examplePath` subdirectories, but
+						// there are also a couple of files inside the `examplePath` which doesn't need to be compiled
+						continue
+					}
 					infos, err := ioutil.ReadDir(path.Join(examplePath, info.Name()))
 					require.NoError(t, err)
 					require.False(t, len(infos) == 0, "detected smart contract folder with no contract in it")
diff --git a/pkg/wallet/wallet_test.go b/pkg/wallet/wallet_test.go
index 4f3854fc9..15194cfcd 100644
--- a/pkg/wallet/wallet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/wallet/wallet_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"path"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/encoding/address"
@@ -197,3 +198,20 @@ func TestWalletGetChangeAddress(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, expected, sh)
 }
+
+func TestWalletForExamples(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		examplesDir  = "../../examples"
+		walletFile   = "my_wallet.json"
+		walletPass   = "qwerty"
+		accountLabel = "my_account"
+	)
+	w, err := NewWalletFromFile(path.Join(examplesDir, walletFile))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, len(w.Accounts))
+	require.Equal(t, accountLabel, w.Accounts[0].Label)
+	require.NoError(t, w.Accounts[0].Decrypt(walletPass))
+
+	// we need to keep the owner of the example contracts the same as the wallet account
+	require.Equal(t, "NX1yL5wDx3inK2qUVLRVaqCLUxYnAbv85S", w.Accounts[0].Address, "need to change `owner` in the example contracts")
+}