diff --git a/glide.lock b/glide.lock
index 42712c232..a1a29b9db 100644
--- a/glide.lock
+++ b/glide.lock
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ imports:
 - name: github.com/tendermint/go-config
   version: 620dcbbd7d587cf3599dedbf329b64311b0c307a
 - name: github.com/tendermint/go-crypto
-  version: 0ca2c6fdb0706001ca4c4b9b80c9f428e8cf39da
+  version: 3e1dba7ab762bb689123eec30c468967f077a6a4
 - name: github.com/tendermint/go-data
-  version: e7fcc6d081ec8518912fcdc103188275f83a3ee5
+  version: 9fbf0684fefc4fad580992394a0bcf47c1b3d77e
 - name: github.com/tendermint/go-db
   version: 9643f60bc2578693844aacf380a7c32e4c029fee
 - name: github.com/tendermint/go-events
diff --git a/types/priv_validator.go b/types/priv_validator.go
index c200dff3c..8752e430d 100644
--- a/types/priv_validator.go
+++ b/types/priv_validator.go
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/tendermint/go-common"
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
-
-	"github.com/tendermint/ed25519"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -81,22 +79,15 @@ func (privVal *PrivValidator) SetSigner(s Signer) {
 
 // Generates a new validator with private key.
 func GenPrivValidator() *PrivValidator {
-	privKeyBytes := new([64]byte)
-	copy(privKeyBytes[:32], crypto.CRandBytes(32))
-	pubKeyBytes := ed25519.MakePublicKey(privKeyBytes)
-	pubKey := crypto.PubKeyEd25519(*pubKeyBytes)
-	privKey := crypto.PrivKeyEd25519(*privKeyBytes)
+	privKey := crypto.WrapPrivKey(crypto.GenPrivKeyEd25519())
+	pubKey := privKey.PubKey()
 	return &PrivValidator{
-		Address:       pubKey.Address(),
-		PubKey:        pubKey,
-		PrivKey:       privKey,
-		LastHeight:    0,
-		LastRound:     0,
-		LastStep:      stepNone,
-		LastSignature: nil,
-		LastSignBytes: nil,
-		filePath:      "",
-		Signer:        NewDefaultSigner(privKey),
+		Address:  pubKey.Address(),
+		PubKey:   pubKey,
+		PrivKey:  privKey,
+		LastStep: stepNone,
+		filePath: "",
+		Signer:   NewDefaultSigner(privKey),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -158,7 +149,7 @@ func (privVal *PrivValidator) Reset() {
 	privVal.LastHeight = 0
 	privVal.LastRound = 0
 	privVal.LastStep = 0
-	privVal.LastSignature = nil
+	privVal.LastSignature = crypto.Signature{}
 	privVal.LastSignBytes = nil
 	privVal.Save()
 }
@@ -191,23 +182,24 @@ func (privVal *PrivValidator) SignProposal(chainID string, proposal *Proposal) e
 
 // check if there's a regression. Else sign and write the hrs+signature to disk
 func (privVal *PrivValidator) signBytesHRS(height, round int, step int8, signBytes []byte) (crypto.Signature, error) {
+	sig := crypto.Signature{}
 	// If height regression, err
 	if privVal.LastHeight > height {
-		return nil, errors.New("Height regression")
+		return sig, errors.New("Height regression")
 	}
 	// More cases for when the height matches
 	if privVal.LastHeight == height {
 		// If round regression, err
 		if privVal.LastRound > round {
-			return nil, errors.New("Round regression")
+			return sig, errors.New("Round regression")
 		}
 		// If step regression, err
 		if privVal.LastRound == round {
 			if privVal.LastStep > step {
-				return nil, errors.New("Step regression")
+				return sig, errors.New("Step regression")
 			} else if privVal.LastStep == step {
 				if privVal.LastSignBytes != nil {
-					if privVal.LastSignature == nil {
+					if privVal.LastSignature.Empty() {
 						PanicSanity("privVal: LastSignature is nil but LastSignBytes is not!")
 					}
 					// so we dont sign a conflicting vote or proposal
@@ -218,23 +210,23 @@ func (privVal *PrivValidator) signBytesHRS(height, round int, step int8, signByt
 						return privVal.LastSignature, nil
 					}
 				}
-				return nil, errors.New("Step regression")
+				return sig, errors.New("Step regression")
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	// Sign
-	signature := privVal.Sign(signBytes)
+	sig = privVal.Sign(signBytes)
 
 	// Persist height/round/step
 	privVal.LastHeight = height
 	privVal.LastRound = round
 	privVal.LastStep = step
-	privVal.LastSignature = signature
+	privVal.LastSignature = sig
 	privVal.LastSignBytes = signBytes
 	privVal.save()
 
-	return signature, nil
+	return sig, nil
 
 }
 
diff --git a/types/validator_set_test.go b/types/validator_set_test.go
index bc7fef798..b918b8d5f 100644
--- a/types/validator_set_test.go
+++ b/types/validator_set_test.go
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
 )
 
-func randPubKey() crypto.PubKeyEd25519 {
+func randPubKey() crypto.PubKey {
 	var pubKey [32]byte
 	copy(pubKey[:], cmn.RandBytes(32))
-	return crypto.PubKeyEd25519(pubKey)
+	return crypto.WrapPubKey(crypto.PubKeyEd25519(pubKey))
 }
 
 func randValidator_() *Validator {
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func BenchmarkValidatorSetCopy(b *testing.B) {
 	vset := NewValidatorSet([]*Validator{})
 	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
 		privKey := crypto.GenPrivKeyEd25519()
-		pubKey := privKey.PubKey().(crypto.PubKeyEd25519)
+		pubKey := privKey.PubKey()
 		val := NewValidator(pubKey, 0)
 		if !vset.Add(val) {
 			panic("Failed to add validator")