diff --git a/state/genesis.go b/state/genesis.go
index aac4d0ca7..ba92bbb12 100644
--- a/state/genesis.go
+++ b/state/genesis.go
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 package state
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"encoding/hex"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"time"
 
@@ -16,12 +13,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 type GenesisAccount struct {
-	Address string
+	Address []byte
 	Amount  uint64
 }
 
 type GenesisValidator struct {
-	PubKey   string
+	PubKey   PubKeyEd25519
 	Amount   uint64
 	UnbondTo []GenesisAccount
 }
@@ -33,7 +30,8 @@ type GenesisDoc struct {
 }
 
 func GenesisDocFromJSON(jsonBlob []byte) (genState *GenesisDoc) {
-	err := json.Unmarshal(jsonBlob, &genState)
+	var err error
+	ReadJSON(&genState, jsonBlob, &err)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(Fmt("Couldn't read GenesisDoc: %v", err))
 	}
@@ -61,32 +59,20 @@ func MakeGenesisState(db db_.DB, genDoc *GenesisDoc) *State {
 	// Make accounts state tree
 	accounts := merkle.NewIAVLTree(BasicCodec, AccountCodec, defaultAccountsCacheCapacity, db)
 	for _, acc := range genDoc.Accounts {
-		address, err := hex.DecodeString(acc.Address)
-		if err != nil {
-			Exit(Fmt("Invalid account address: %v", acc.Address))
-		}
 		account := &Account{
-			Address:  address,
+			Address:  acc.Address,
 			PubKey:   PubKeyNil{},
 			Sequence: 0,
 			Balance:  acc.Amount,
 		}
-		accounts.Set(address, account)
+		accounts.Set(acc.Address, account)
 	}
 
 	// Make validatorInfos state tree && validators slice
 	validatorInfos := merkle.NewIAVLTree(BasicCodec, ValidatorInfoCodec, 0, db)
 	validators := make([]*Validator, len(genDoc.Validators))
 	for i, val := range genDoc.Validators {
-		pubKeyBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(val.PubKey)
-		if err != nil {
-			Exit(Fmt("Invalid validator pubkey: %v", val.PubKey))
-		}
-		pubKey := ReadBinary(PubKeyEd25519{},
-			bytes.NewBuffer(pubKeyBytes), new(int64), &err).(PubKeyEd25519)
-		if err != nil {
-			Exit(Fmt("Invalid validator pubkey: %v", val.PubKey))
-		}
+		pubKey := val.PubKey
 		address := pubKey.Address()
 
 		// Make ValidatorInfo
@@ -98,12 +84,8 @@ func MakeGenesisState(db db_.DB, genDoc *GenesisDoc) *State {
 			FirstBondAmount: val.Amount,
 		}
 		for i, unbondTo := range val.UnbondTo {
-			address, err := hex.DecodeString(unbondTo.Address)
-			if err != nil {
-				Exit(Fmt("Invalid unbond-to address: %v", unbondTo.Address))
-			}
 			valInfo.UnbondTo[i] = &TxOutput{
-				Address: address,
+				Address: unbondTo.Address,
 				Amount:  unbondTo.Amount,
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/state/priv_validator.go b/state/priv_validator.go
index 9c1ec7f3e..ac11f5c83 100644
--- a/state/priv_validator.go
+++ b/state/priv_validator.go
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ package state
 // TODO: This logic is crude. Should be more transactional.
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"encoding/hex"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -74,50 +71,16 @@ func GenPrivValidator() *PrivValidator {
 	}
 }
 
-type PrivValidatorJSON struct {
-	Address    string
-	PubKey     string
-	PrivKey    string
-	LastHeight uint
-	LastRound  uint
-	LastStep   uint8
-}
-
 func LoadPrivValidator(filename string) *PrivValidator {
 	privValJSONBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
-	privValJSON := PrivValidatorJSON{}
-	err = json.Unmarshal(privValJSONBytes, &privValJSON)
+	privVal := ReadJSON(&PrivValidator{}, privValJSONBytes, &err).(*PrivValidator)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	address, err := hex.DecodeString(privValJSON.Address)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	pubKeyBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(privValJSON.PubKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	privKeyBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(privValJSON.PrivKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	n := new(int64)
-	privVal := &PrivValidator{
-		Address:    address,
-		PubKey:     ReadBinary(PubKeyEd25519{}, bytes.NewReader(pubKeyBytes), n, &err).(PubKeyEd25519),
-		PrivKey:    ReadBinary(PrivKeyEd25519{}, bytes.NewReader(privKeyBytes), n, &err).(PrivKeyEd25519),
-		LastHeight: privValJSON.LastHeight,
-		LastRound:  privValJSON.LastRound,
-		LastStep:   privValJSON.LastStep,
-		filename:   filename,
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		Exit(Fmt("Error reading PrivValidator from %v: %v\n", filename, err))
 	}
+	privVal.filename = filename
 	return privVal
 }
 
@@ -135,21 +98,7 @@ func (privVal *PrivValidator) save() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (privVal *PrivValidator) JSONBytes() []byte {
-	privValJSON := PrivValidatorJSON{
-		Address:    hex.EncodeToString(privVal.Address),
-		PubKey:     hex.EncodeToString(BinaryBytes(privVal.PubKey)),
-		PrivKey:    hex.EncodeToString(BinaryBytes(privVal.PrivKey)),
-		LastHeight: privVal.LastHeight,
-		LastRound:  privVal.LastRound,
-		LastStep:   privVal.LastStep,
-	}
-	privValJSONBytes, err := json.MarshalIndent(privValJSON, "", "    ")
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	return privValJSONBytes
-}
+func (privVal *PrivValidator) JSONBytes() []byte { return JSONBytes(privVal) }
 
 // TODO: test
 func (privVal *PrivValidator) SignVote(vote *Vote) error {
diff --git a/state/test.go b/state/test.go
index 8f9ea847e..931dfece0 100644
--- a/state/test.go
+++ b/state/test.go
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ package state
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"sort"
 
 	. "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/account"
-	. "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/binary"
 	. "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/block"
 	. "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/common"
 	db_ "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/db"
@@ -65,7 +63,7 @@ func RandGenesisState(numAccounts int, randBalance bool, minBalance uint64, numV
 	for i := 0; i < numAccounts; i++ {
 		account, privAccount := RandAccount(randBalance, minBalance)
 		accounts[i] = GenesisAccount{
-			Address: hex.EncodeToString(account.Address),
+			Address: account.Address,
 			Amount:  account.Balance,
 		}
 		privAccounts[i] = privAccount
@@ -75,11 +73,11 @@ func RandGenesisState(numAccounts int, randBalance bool, minBalance uint64, numV
 	for i := 0; i < numValidators; i++ {
 		valInfo, privVal := RandValidator(randBonded, minBonded)
 		validators[i] = GenesisValidator{
-			PubKey: hex.EncodeToString(BinaryBytes(valInfo.PubKey)),
+			PubKey: valInfo.PubKey,
 			Amount: valInfo.FirstBondAmount,
 			UnbondTo: []GenesisAccount{
 				{
-					Address: hex.EncodeToString(valInfo.PubKey.Address()),
+					Address: valInfo.PubKey.Address(),
 					Amount:  valInfo.FirstBondAmount,
 				},
 			},