diff --git a/common/src/block.rs b/common/src/block.rs
index 3d39e58..55490b4 100644
--- a/common/src/block.rs
+++ b/common/src/block.rs
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ impl HashableBlockData {
 
         let mut transactions = Vec::with_capacity(num_transactions);
         for _ in 0..num_transactions {
-            let tx = nssa::PublicTransaction::from_cursor(&mut cursor);
+            let tx = nssa::PublicTransaction::from_cursor(&mut cursor).unwrap();
             transactions.push(tx);
         }
 
diff --git a/nssa/src/error.rs b/nssa/src/error.rs
index c4c96c7..5e173b5 100644
--- a/nssa/src/error.rs
+++ b/nssa/src/error.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::io;
+
 use thiserror::Error;
 
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
@@ -16,4 +18,7 @@ pub enum NssaError {
 
     #[error("Invalid private key")]
     InvalidPrivateKey,
+
+    #[error("IO error: {0}")]
+    Io(#[from] io::Error),
 }
diff --git a/nssa/src/public_transaction/encoding.rs b/nssa/src/public_transaction/encoding.rs
index 0f9e80c..6d561ef 100644
--- a/nssa/src/public_transaction/encoding.rs
+++ b/nssa/src/public_transaction/encoding.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use nssa_core::program::ProgramId;
 
 use crate::{
     Address, PublicKey, PublicTransaction, Signature,
+    error::NssaError,
     public_transaction::{Message, WitnessSet},
 };
 
@@ -45,46 +46,46 @@ impl Message {
         bytes
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Result<Self, NssaError> {
         let prefix = {
             let mut this = [0u8; MESSAGE_ENCODING_PREFIX_LEN];
-            cursor.read_exact(&mut this).unwrap();
+            cursor.read_exact(&mut this)?;
             this
         };
         assert_eq!(&prefix, MESSAGE_ENCODING_PREFIX);
         let program_id: ProgramId = {
             let mut this = [0u32; 8];
             for i in 0..8 {
-                this[i] = u32_from_cursor(cursor);
+                this[i] = u32_from_cursor(cursor)?;
             }
             this
         };
-        let addresses_len = u32_from_cursor(cursor);
+        let addresses_len = u32_from_cursor(cursor)?;
         let mut addresses = Vec::with_capacity(addresses_len as usize);
         for _ in 0..addresses_len {
             let mut value = [0u8; 32];
-            cursor.read_exact(&mut value).unwrap();
+            cursor.read_exact(&mut value)?;
             addresses.push(Address::new(value))
         }
-        let nonces_len = u32_from_cursor(cursor);
+        let nonces_len = u32_from_cursor(cursor)?;
         let mut nonces = Vec::with_capacity(nonces_len as usize);
         for _ in 0..nonces_len {
             let mut buf = [0u8; 16];
-            cursor.read_exact(&mut buf).unwrap();
+            cursor.read_exact(&mut buf)?;
             nonces.push(u128::from_le_bytes(buf))
         }
-        let instruction_data_len = u32_from_cursor(cursor);
+        let instruction_data_len = u32_from_cursor(cursor)?;
         let mut instruction_data = Vec::with_capacity(instruction_data_len as usize);
         for _ in 0..instruction_data_len {
-            let word = u32_from_cursor(cursor);
+            let word = u32_from_cursor(cursor)?;
             instruction_data.push(word)
         }
-        Self {
+        Ok(Self {
             program_id,
             addresses,
             nonces,
             instruction_data,
-        }
+        })
     }
 }
 
@@ -100,22 +101,21 @@ impl WitnessSet {
         bytes
     }
 
-    // TODO: remove unwraps and return Result
-    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Result<Self, NssaError> {
         let num_signatures: u32 = {
             let mut buf = [0u8; 4];
-            cursor.read_exact(&mut buf).unwrap();
+            cursor.read_exact(&mut buf)?;
             u32::from_le_bytes(buf)
         };
         let mut signatures_and_public_keys = Vec::with_capacity(num_signatures as usize);
         for _i in 0..num_signatures {
-            let signature = Signature::from_cursor(cursor);
-            let public_key = PublicKey::from_cursor(cursor);
+            let signature = Signature::from_cursor(cursor)?;
+            let public_key = PublicKey::from_cursor(cursor)?;
             signatures_and_public_keys.push((signature, public_key))
         }
-        Self {
+        Ok(Self {
             signatures_and_public_keys,
-        }
+        })
     }
 }
 
@@ -126,23 +126,23 @@ impl PublicTransaction {
         bytes
     }
 
-    pub fn from_bytes(bytes: &[u8]) -> Self {
+    pub fn from_bytes(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, NssaError> {
         let mut cursor = Cursor::new(bytes);
-        Self::from_cursor(&mut cursor)
+        Ok(Self::from_cursor(&mut cursor)?)
     }
 
-    pub fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Self {
-        let message = Message::from_cursor(cursor);
-        let witness_set = WitnessSet::from_cursor(cursor);
-        Self {
+    pub fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Result<Self, NssaError> {
+        let message = Message::from_cursor(cursor)?;
+        let witness_set = WitnessSet::from_cursor(cursor)?;
+        Ok(Self {
             message,
             witness_set,
-        }
+        })
     }
 }
 
-fn u32_from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> u32 {
+fn u32_from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Result<u32, NssaError> {
     let mut word_buf = [0u8; 4];
-    cursor.read_exact(&mut word_buf).unwrap();
-    u32::from_le_bytes(word_buf)
+    cursor.read_exact(&mut word_buf)?;
+    Ok(u32::from_le_bytes(word_buf))
 }
diff --git a/nssa/src/public_transaction/mod.rs b/nssa/src/public_transaction/mod.rs
index efb53ef..44eee56 100644
--- a/nssa/src/public_transaction/mod.rs
+++ b/nssa/src/public_transaction/mod.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ mod tests {
     };
 
     #[test]
-    fn test_to_bytes() {
+    fn test_public_transaction_encoding_bytes_roundtrip() {
         let key1 = PrivateKey::try_new([1; 32]).unwrap();
         let key2 = PrivateKey::try_new([2; 32]).unwrap();
         let addr1 = Address::from_public_key(&PublicKey::new(&key1));
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ mod tests {
         let tx = PublicTransaction::new(message, witness_set);
 
         let bytes = tx.to_bytes();
-        let mut cursor: Cursor<&[u8]> = Cursor::new(&bytes);
-        let recov_tx = PublicTransaction::from_cursor(&mut cursor);
-        assert_eq!(tx, recov_tx);
+        let tx_from_bytes = PublicTransaction::from_bytes(&bytes).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(tx, tx_from_bytes);
     }
 }
diff --git a/nssa/src/signature/encoding.rs b/nssa/src/signature/encoding.rs
index 7e6ce58..7760c00 100644
--- a/nssa/src/signature/encoding.rs
+++ b/nssa/src/signature/encoding.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 use std::io::{Cursor, Read};
 
-use crate::{PublicKey, Signature};
+use crate::{PublicKey, Signature, error::NssaError};
 
 impl PublicKey {
-    // TODO: remove unwraps and return Result
-    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Result<Self, NssaError> {
         let mut value = [0u8; 32];
-        cursor.read_exact(&mut value).unwrap();
-        Self(value)
+        cursor.read_exact(&mut value)?;
+        Ok(Self(value))
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn to_bytes(&self) -> &[u8] {
@@ -16,11 +15,10 @@ impl PublicKey {
 }
 
 impl Signature {
-    // TODO: remove unwraps and return Result
-    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn from_cursor(cursor: &mut Cursor<&[u8]>) -> Result<Self, NssaError> {
         let mut value = [0u8; 64];
-        cursor.read_exact(&mut value).unwrap();
-        Self { value }
+        cursor.read_exact(&mut value)?;
+        Ok(Self { value })
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn to_bytes(&self) -> &[u8] {
diff --git a/sequencer_core/src/lib.rs b/sequencer_core/src/lib.rs
index 8430b83..b56b34cc 100644
--- a/sequencer_core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/sequencer_core/src/lib.rs
@@ -102,13 +102,10 @@ impl SequencerCore {
             .mempool
             .pop_size(self.sequencer_config.max_num_tx_in_block);
 
-        println!("##");
-        println!("{:?}", transactions.len());
         let valid_transactions: Vec<_> = transactions
             .into_iter()
             .filter_map(|tx| self.execute_check_transaction_on_state(tx).ok())
             .collect();
-        println!("{:?}", valid_transactions.len());
 
         let prev_block_hash = self
             .store
diff --git a/sequencer_rpc/src/process.rs b/sequencer_rpc/src/process.rs
index 4d7ba83..2d5a29a 100644
--- a/sequencer_rpc/src/process.rs
+++ b/sequencer_rpc/src/process.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 use actix_web::Error as HttpError;
 use base64::{engine::general_purpose, Engine};
 use nssa;
@@ -71,7 +70,8 @@ impl JsonHandler {
 
     async fn process_send_tx(&self, request: Request) -> Result<Value, RpcErr> {
         let send_tx_req = SendTxRequest::parse(Some(request.params))?;
-        let tx = nssa::PublicTransaction::from_bytes(&send_tx_req.transaction);
+        let tx = nssa::PublicTransaction::from_bytes(&send_tx_req.transaction)
+            .map_err(|e| RpcError::serialization_error(&e.to_string()))?;
 
         {
             let mut state = self.sequencer_state.lock().await;