diff --git a/consensus/types/proposal.go b/consensus/types/proposal.go
index a306f032a..d2fb4b15f 100644
--- a/consensus/types/proposal.go
+++ b/consensus/types/proposal.go
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ func (p *Proposal) String() string {
 }
 
 func (p *Proposal) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the chain_id name so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(`,"proposal":{"block_parts":`), w, n, err)
 	p.BlockParts.WriteSignBytes(w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"height":%v,"pol_parts":`, p.Height)), w, n, err)
diff --git a/consensus/types/proposal_test.go b/consensus/types/proposal_test.go
index fa8f37be3..5cc4a5f38 100644
--- a/consensus/types/proposal_test.go
+++ b/consensus/types/proposal_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func TestProposalSignable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	signBytes := account.SignBytes(config.GetString("chain_id"), proposal)
 	signStr := string(signBytes)
-	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X","proposal":{"block_parts":{"hash":"626C6F636B7061727473","total":111},"height":12345,"pol_parts":{"hash":"706F6C7061727473","total":222},"round":23456}}`,
+	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s","proposal":{"block_parts":{"hash":"626C6F636B7061727473","total":111},"height":12345,"pol_parts":{"hash":"706F6C7061727473","total":222},"round":23456}}`,
 		config.GetString("chain_id"))
 	if signStr != expected {
 		t.Errorf("Got unexpected sign string for SendTx. Expected:\n%v\nGot:\n%v", expected, signStr)
diff --git a/types/names.go b/types/names.go
index 22d20a357..3e31991fa 100644
--- a/types/names.go
+++ b/types/names.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func BaseEntryCost(name, data string) uint64 {
 type NameRegEntry struct {
 	Name    string `json:"name"`    // registered name for the entry
 	Owner   []byte `json:"owner"`   // address that created the entry
-	Data    string `json:"data"`    // binary encoded byte array
+	Data    string `json:"data"`    // data to store under this name
 	Expires uint64 `json:"expires"` // block at which this entry expires
 }
 
diff --git a/types/tx.go b/types/tx.go
index 8bb596407..811ab1fd0 100644
--- a/types/tx.go
+++ b/types/tx.go
@@ -135,8 +135,7 @@ type SendTx struct {
 }
 
 func (tx *SendTx) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the chain_id so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"tx":[%v,{"inputs":[`, TxTypeSend)), w, n, err)
 	for i, in := range tx.Inputs {
 		in.WriteSignBytes(w, n, err)
@@ -169,8 +168,7 @@ type CallTx struct {
 }
 
 func (tx *CallTx) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the chain_id so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"tx":[%v,{"address":"%X","data":"%X"`, TxTypeCall, tx.Address, tx.Data)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"fee":%v,"gas_limit":%v,"input":`, tx.Fee, tx.GasLimit)), w, n, err)
 	tx.Input.WriteSignBytes(w, n, err)
@@ -191,8 +189,7 @@ type NameTx struct {
 }
 
 func (tx *NameTx) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the network name so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"network":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"tx":[%v,{"name":"%s","data":"%s"`, TxTypeName, tx.Name, tx.Data)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"fee":%v,"input":`, tx.Fee)), w, n, err)
 	tx.Input.WriteSignBytes(w, n, err)
@@ -239,8 +236,7 @@ type BondTx struct {
 }
 
 func (tx *BondTx) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the chain_id so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"tx":[%v,{"inputs":[`, TxTypeBond)), w, n, err)
 	for i, in := range tx.Inputs {
 		in.WriteSignBytes(w, n, err)
@@ -273,8 +269,7 @@ type UnbondTx struct {
 }
 
 func (tx *UnbondTx) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the chain_id so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"tx":[%v,{"address":"%X","height":%v}]}`, TxTypeUnbond, tx.Address, tx.Height)), w, n, err)
 }
 
@@ -291,8 +286,7 @@ type RebondTx struct {
 }
 
 func (tx *RebondTx) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the chain_id so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"tx":[%v,{"address":"%X","height":%v}]}`, TxTypeRebond, tx.Address, tx.Height)), w, n, err)
 }
 
diff --git a/types/tx_test.go b/types/tx_test.go
index 5ac1f908d..703f873ed 100644
--- a/types/tx_test.go
+++ b/types/tx_test.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func TestSendTxSignable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	signBytes := account.SignBytes(chainID, sendTx)
 	signStr := string(signBytes)
-	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X","tx":[1,{"inputs":[{"address":"696E70757431","amount":12345,"sequence":67890},{"address":"696E70757432","amount":111,"sequence":222}],"outputs":[{"address":"6F757470757431","amount":333},{"address":"6F757470757432","amount":444}]}]}`,
+	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s","tx":[1,{"inputs":[{"address":"696E70757431","amount":12345,"sequence":67890},{"address":"696E70757432","amount":111,"sequence":222}],"outputs":[{"address":"6F757470757431","amount":333},{"address":"6F757470757432","amount":444}]}]}`,
 		config.GetString("chain_id"))
 	if signStr != expected {
 		t.Errorf("Got unexpected sign string for SendTx. Expected:\n%v\nGot:\n%v", expected, signStr)
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestCallTxSignable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	signBytes := account.SignBytes(chainID, callTx)
 	signStr := string(signBytes)
-	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X","tx":[2,{"address":"636F6E747261637431","data":"6461746131","fee":222,"gas_limit":111,"input":{"address":"696E70757431","amount":12345,"sequence":67890}}]}`,
+	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s","tx":[2,{"address":"636F6E747261637431","data":"6461746131","fee":222,"gas_limit":111,"input":{"address":"696E70757431","amount":12345,"sequence":67890}}]}`,
 		config.GetString("chain_id"))
 	if signStr != expected {
 		t.Errorf("Got unexpected sign string for CallTx. Expected:\n%v\nGot:\n%v", expected, signStr)
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func TestBondTxSignable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	signBytes := account.SignBytes(chainID, bondTx)
 	signStr := string(signBytes)
-	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X","tx":[17,{"inputs":[{"address":"696E70757431","amount":12345,"sequence":67890},{"address":"696E70757432","amount":111,"sequence":222}],"pub_key":[1,"3B6A27BCCEB6A42D62A3A8D02A6F0D73653215771DE243A63AC048A18B59DA29"],"unbond_to":[{"address":"6F757470757431","amount":333},{"address":"6F757470757432","amount":444}]}]}`,
+	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s","tx":[17,{"inputs":[{"address":"696E70757431","amount":12345,"sequence":67890},{"address":"696E70757432","amount":111,"sequence":222}],"pub_key":[1,"3B6A27BCCEB6A42D62A3A8D02A6F0D73653215771DE243A63AC048A18B59DA29"],"unbond_to":[{"address":"6F757470757431","amount":333},{"address":"6F757470757432","amount":444}]}]}`,
 		config.GetString("chain_id"))
 	if signStr != expected {
 		t.Errorf("Got unexpected sign string for BondTx")
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func TestUnbondTxSignable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	signBytes := account.SignBytes(chainID, unbondTx)
 	signStr := string(signBytes)
-	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X","tx":[18,{"address":"6164647265737331","height":111}]}`,
+	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s","tx":[18,{"address":"6164647265737331","height":111}]}`,
 		config.GetString("chain_id"))
 	if signStr != expected {
 		t.Errorf("Got unexpected sign string for UnbondTx")
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func TestRebondTxSignable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	signBytes := account.SignBytes(chainID, rebondTx)
 	signStr := string(signBytes)
-	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X","tx":[19,{"address":"6164647265737331","height":111}]}`,
+	expected := Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s","tx":[19,{"address":"6164647265737331","height":111}]}`,
 		config.GetString("chain_id"))
 	if signStr != expected {
 		t.Errorf("Got unexpected sign string for RebondTx")
diff --git a/types/vote.go b/types/vote.go
index def488e92..365b5a9af 100644
--- a/types/vote.go
+++ b/types/vote.go
@@ -46,8 +46,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 func (vote *Vote) WriteSignBytes(chainID string, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
-	// We hex encode the chain_id name so we don't deal with escaping issues.
-	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%X"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
+	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`{"chain_id":"%s"`, chainID)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"vote":{"block_hash":"%X","block_parts":%v`, vote.BlockHash, vote.BlockParts)), w, n, err)
 	binary.WriteTo([]byte(Fmt(`,"height":%v,"round":%v,"type":%v}}`, vote.Height, vote.Round, vote.Type)), w, n, err)
 }