diff --git a/emmarin/cl/cl/src/zone_layer/mod.rs b/emmarin/cl/cl/src/zone_layer/mod.rs
index 20710b3..06da01c 100644
--- a/emmarin/cl/cl/src/zone_layer/mod.rs
+++ b/emmarin/cl/cl/src/zone_layer/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 pub mod ledger;
 pub mod notes;
+pub mod sparse_merkle_tree;
 pub mod tx;
diff --git a/emmarin/cl/cl/src/zone_layer/sparse_merkle_tree.rs b/emmarin/cl/cl/src/zone_layer/sparse_merkle_tree.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fef49a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/emmarin/cl/cl/src/zone_layer/sparse_merkle_tree.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,279 @@
+use std::collections::BTreeSet;
+
+use crate::cl::merkle;
+
+fn smt_root(elems: &BTreeSet<[u8; 32]>) -> [u8; 32] {
+    smt_root_rec(0, elems)
+}
+
+fn smt_root_rec(prefix: u8, elems: &BTreeSet<[u8; 32]>) -> [u8; 32] {
+    if elems.is_empty() {
+        return empty_tree_root(255 - prefix);
+    }
+    if prefix == 255 {
+        assert_eq!(elems.len(), 1);
+        return merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]); // presence of element is marked with all 1's
+    }
+    // partition the elements
+    let (left, right): (BTreeSet<_>, BTreeSet<_>) = elems.iter().partition(|e| !bit(prefix, **e));
+
+    merkle::node(
+        smt_root_rec(prefix + 1, &left),
+        smt_root_rec(prefix + 1, &right),
+    )
+}
+
+fn smt_path(elem: [u8; 32], elems: &BTreeSet<[u8; 32]>) -> Vec<merkle::PathNode> {
+    fn stm_path_rec(
+        prefix: u8,
+        elem: [u8; 32],
+        elems: &BTreeSet<[u8; 32]>,
+    ) -> Vec<merkle::PathNode> {
+        if prefix == 255 {
+            return Vec::new();
+        }
+        // partition the elements
+        let (left, right): (BTreeSet<_>, BTreeSet<_>) =
+            elems.iter().partition(|e| !bit(prefix, **e));
+
+        match bit(prefix, elem) {
+            true => {
+                let left_root = smt_root_rec(prefix + 1, &left);
+                let mut path = stm_path_rec(prefix + 1, elem, &right);
+
+                path.push(merkle::PathNode::Left(left_root));
+                path
+            }
+            false => {
+                let right_root = smt_root_rec(prefix + 1, &right);
+                let mut path = stm_path_rec(prefix + 1, elem, &left);
+
+                path.push(merkle::PathNode::Right(right_root));
+                path
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    stm_path_rec(0, elem, elems)
+}
+
+fn empty_tree_root(height: u8) -> [u8; 32] {
+    let mut root = merkle::leaf(&[0u8; 32]);
+    for _ in 0..height {
+        root = merkle::node(root, root);
+    }
+    root
+}
+
+fn bit(idx: u8, elem: [u8; 32]) -> bool {
+    let byte = idx / 8;
+    let bit_in_byte = idx - byte * 8;
+
+    (elem[byte as usize] & (1 << bit_in_byte)) >> bit_in_byte == 1
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use monotree::utils::random_hash;
+
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smt_path() {
+        let elems = BTreeSet::from_iter(std::iter::repeat_with(random_hash).take(10));
+
+        let one = merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]);
+        let zero = merkle::leaf(&[0u8; 32]);
+
+        let root = smt_root(&elems);
+
+        // membership proofs
+        for e in elems.iter() {
+            let path = smt_path(*e, &elems);
+            assert_eq!(path.len(), 255);
+            assert_eq!(merkle::path_root(one, &path), root);
+        }
+
+        // non-membership proofs
+        for _ in 0..10 {
+            let elem = random_hash();
+            let path = smt_path(elem, &elems);
+            assert!(!elems.contains(&elem));
+            assert_eq!(path.len(), 255);
+            assert_eq!(merkle::path_root(zero, &path), root);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smt_non_membership_in_empty_tree() {
+        let root = smt_root(&BTreeSet::new());
+
+        let path = smt_path([0u8; 32], &BTreeSet::new());
+
+        let zero = merkle::leaf(&[0u8; 32]);
+        assert_eq!(merkle::path_root(zero, &path), root);
+
+        for (h, node) in path.into_iter().enumerate() {
+            match node {
+                merkle::PathNode::Left(hash) | merkle::PathNode::Right(hash) => {
+                    assert_eq!(hash, empty_tree_root(h as u8))
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smt_root_left_most_occupied() {
+        let root = smt_root(&BTreeSet::from_iter([[0u8; 32]]));
+
+        // We are constructing the tree:
+        //
+        //      / \
+        //     / \ 0 subtree
+        //    / \ 0 subtree
+        //   1  0
+        let mut expected_root = merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]);
+        for h in 0..=254 {
+            expected_root = merkle::node(expected_root, empty_tree_root(h))
+        }
+
+        assert_eq!(root, expected_root)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smt_root_right_most_occupied() {
+        let root = smt_root(&BTreeSet::from_iter([[255u8; 32]]));
+
+        // We are constructing the tree:
+        //
+        //  /\
+        // 0 /\
+        //  0 /\
+        //   0 1
+        let mut expected_root = merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]);
+        for h in 0..=254 {
+            expected_root = merkle::node(empty_tree_root(h), expected_root)
+        }
+
+        assert_eq!(root, expected_root)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smt_root_middle_elem() {
+        let elem = {
+            let mut x = [255u8; 32];
+            x[0] = 254;
+            x
+        };
+        assert!(!bit(0, elem));
+        for i in 1..=255 {
+            assert!(bit(i, elem));
+        }
+
+        let root = smt_root(&BTreeSet::from_iter([elem]));
+
+        // We are constructing the tree:
+        //    root
+        //    / \
+        //   /\ 0
+        //  0 /\
+        //   0 /\
+        //    0 ...
+        //       \
+        //       1
+        let mut expected_root = merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]);
+        for h in 0..=253 {
+            expected_root = merkle::node(empty_tree_root(h), expected_root)
+        }
+        expected_root = merkle::node(expected_root, empty_tree_root(254));
+
+        assert_eq!(root, expected_root)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smt_root_middle_weave_elem() {
+        let elem = [85u8; 32];
+        for i in 0..=255 {
+            assert_eq!(bit(i, elem), i % 2 == 0);
+        }
+
+        let root = smt_root(&BTreeSet::from_iter([elem]));
+
+        // We are constructing the tree:
+        //  /\
+        // 0 /\
+        //  /\0
+        //  /\
+        // 0 /\
+        //  /\0
+        // 0 1
+
+        let mut expected_root = merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]);
+        for h in 0..=254 {
+            if h % 2 == 0 {
+                expected_root = merkle::node(empty_tree_root(h), expected_root)
+            } else {
+                expected_root = merkle::node(expected_root, empty_tree_root(h))
+            }
+        }
+        assert_eq!(root, expected_root)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smt_multiple_elems() {
+        let root = smt_root(&BTreeSet::from_iter([[0u8; 32], [255u8; 32]]));
+
+        // We are constructing the tree:
+        //     root
+        //    /  \
+        //   /\  /\
+        //  /\0 0 /\
+        // 1 0   0 1
+
+        let mut left_root = merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]);
+        for h in 0..=253 {
+            left_root = merkle::node(left_root, empty_tree_root(h))
+        }
+
+        let mut right_root = merkle::leaf(&[255u8; 32]);
+        for h in 0..=253 {
+            right_root = merkle::node(empty_tree_root(h), right_root)
+        }
+        let expected_root = merkle::node(left_root, right_root);
+
+        assert_eq!(root, expected_root)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bit() {
+        for i in 0..=255 {
+            assert_eq!(bit(i, [0u8; 32]), false, "{}", i)
+        }
+
+        for i in 0..=255 {
+            assert_eq!(bit(i, [255u8; 32]), true, "{}", i)
+        }
+
+        for i in 0..=255 {
+            assert_eq!(bit(i, [85u8; 32]), i % 2 == 0, "{}", i)
+        }
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn test_empty_tree_root() {
+        let zero = merkle::leaf(&[0u8; 32]);
+        assert_eq!(empty_tree_root(0), zero);
+
+        assert_eq!(empty_tree_root(1), merkle::node(zero, zero));
+        assert_eq!(
+            empty_tree_root(2),
+            merkle::node(merkle::node(zero, zero), merkle::node(zero, zero)),
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            empty_tree_root(3),
+            merkle::node(
+                merkle::node(merkle::node(zero, zero), merkle::node(zero, zero)),
+                merkle::node(merkle::node(zero, zero), merkle::node(zero, zero)),
+            )
+        );
+    }
+}