diff --git a/priv_key.go b/priv_key.go
index 2806e24f7..42f932ba1 100644
--- a/priv_key.go
+++ b/priv_key.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package crypto
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+
 	secp256k1 "github.com/btcsuite/btcd/btcec"
 	"github.com/tendermint/ed25519"
 	"github.com/tendermint/ed25519/extra25519"
@@ -13,6 +15,7 @@ type PrivKey interface {
 	Bytes() []byte
 	Sign(msg []byte) Signature
 	PubKey() PubKey
+	Equals(PrivKey) bool
 }
 
 // Types of PrivKey implementations
@@ -53,6 +56,14 @@ func (privKey PrivKeyEd25519) PubKey() PubKey {
 	return PubKeyEd25519(*ed25519.MakePublicKey(&privKeyBytes))
 }
 
+func (privKey PrivKeyEd25519) Equals(other PrivKey) bool {
+	if otherEd, ok := other.(PrivKeyEd25519); ok {
+		return bytes.Equal(privKey[:], otherEd[:])
+	} else {
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 func (privKey PrivKeyEd25519) ToCurve25519() *[32]byte {
 	keyCurve25519 := new([32]byte)
 	privKeyBytes := [64]byte(privKey)
@@ -117,6 +128,14 @@ func (privKey PrivKeySecp256k1) PubKey() PubKey {
 	return PubKeySecp256k1(pub)
 }
 
+func (privKey PrivKeySecp256k1) Equals(other PrivKey) bool {
+	if otherSecp, ok := other.(PrivKeySecp256k1); ok {
+		return bytes.Equal(privKey[:], otherSecp[:])
+	} else {
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 func (privKey PrivKeySecp256k1) String() string {
 	return Fmt("PrivKeySecp256k1{*****}")
 }
diff --git a/pub_key.go b/pub_key.go
index 1162a1ef3..de56c8122 100644
--- a/pub_key.go
+++ b/pub_key.go
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ func (pubKey PubKeySecp256k1) KeyString() string {
 }
 
 func (pubKey PubKeySecp256k1) Equals(other PubKey) bool {
-	if otherEd, ok := other.(PubKeySecp256k1); ok {
-		return bytes.Equal(pubKey[:], otherEd[:])
+	if otherSecp, ok := other.(PubKeySecp256k1); ok {
+		return bytes.Equal(pubKey[:], otherSecp[:])
 	} else {
 		return false
 	}