diff --git a/codex/bittorrent/bencoding.nim b/codex/bittorrent/bencoding.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2932b18d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex/bittorrent/bencoding.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import std/strformat
+
+import pkg/stew/byteutils
+
+func bencode*(value: uint64): seq[byte] =
+  fmt"i{value}e".toBytes
+
+func bencode*(value: int64): seq[byte] =
+  fmt"i{value}e".toBytes
+
+func bencode*(value: openArray[byte]): seq[byte] =
+  fmt"{value.len}:".toBytes & @value
+
+func bencode*(value: string): seq[byte] =
+  bencode(value.toBytes)
+
+proc bencode*[T: not byte](value: openArray[T]): seq[byte] =
+  fmt"l{value.mapIt(bencode(it).toString).join}e".toBytes
diff --git a/codex/bittorrent/manifest/manifest.nim b/codex/bittorrent/manifest/manifest.nim
index da20e8ba..83a31ec2 100644
--- a/codex/bittorrent/manifest/manifest.nim
+++ b/codex/bittorrent/manifest/manifest.nim
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ import pkg/libp2p
 import pkg/questionable
 import pkg/questionable/results
 
+import ../../errors
+import ../../codextypes
+import ../bencoding
+
 type
   BitTorrentPiece* = MultiHash
   BitTorrentInfo* = ref object
@@ -21,6 +25,19 @@ proc newBitTorrentManifest*(
 ): BitTorrentManifest =
   BitTorrentManifest(info: info, codexManifestCid: codexManifestCid)
 
+func bencode*(info: BitTorrentInfo): seq[byte] =
+  # flatten pieces
+  var pieces: seq[byte]
+  for mh in info.pieces:
+    pieces.add(mh.data.buffer.toOpenArray(mh.dpos, mh.dpos + mh.size - 1))
+  result = @['d'.byte]
+  result.add(bencode("length") & bencode(info.length))
+  if name =? info.name:
+    result.add(bencode("name") & bencode(name))
+  result.add(bencode("piece length") & bencode(info.pieceLength))
+  result.add(bencode("pieces") & bencode(pieces))
+  result.add('e'.byte)
+
 func validate*(self: BitTorrentManifest, cid: Cid): ?!bool =
   # First stage of validation:
   # (1) bencode the info dictionary from the torrent manifest
@@ -32,4 +49,9 @@ func validate*(self: BitTorrentManifest, cid: Cid): ?!bool =
   # points to genuine content. This validation will be done while fetching blocks
   # where we will be able to detect that the aggregated pieces do not match
   # the hashes in the info dictionary from the torrent manifest.
-  return success true
+  let infoBencoded = bencode(self.info)
+  without infoHash =? MultiHash.digest($Sha1HashCodec, infoBencoded).mapFailure, err:
+    return failure(err.msg)
+  without cidInfoHash =? cid.mhash.mapFailure, err:
+    return failure(err.msg)
+  return success(infoHash == cidInfoHash)
diff --git a/codex/node.nim b/codex/node.nim
index f5773a24..55e6cee0 100644
--- a/codex/node.nim
+++ b/codex/node.nim
@@ -182,7 +182,11 @@ proc fetchTorrentManifest*(
 
   trace "Decoded torrent manifest", cid
 
-  if err =? torrentManifest.validate(cid).errorOption:
+  without isValid =? torrentManifest.validate(cid), err:
+    trace "Error validating torrent manifest", cid, err = err.msg
+    return failure(err.msg)
+
+  if not isValid:
     trace "Torrent manifest does not match torrent info hash", cid
     return failure "Torrent manifest does not match torrent info hash {$cid}"
 
diff --git a/tests/codex/bittorrent/testbencoding.nim b/tests/codex/bittorrent/testbencoding.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ad3b9057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/codex/bittorrent/testbencoding.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+import std/unittest
+import std/strformat
+import std/sequtils
+
+import pkg/nimcrypto
+import pkg/stew/byteutils
+import pkg/questionable
+
+import ../../examples
+import ../../../codex/bittorrent/bencoding
+
+type ExampleObject* = ref object
+  length*: uint64
+  pieceLength*: uint32
+  pieces*: seq[seq[byte]]
+  name*: ?string
+
+func bencode(obj: ExampleObject): seq[byte] =
+  # flatten pieces
+  var pieces: seq[byte]
+  for piece in obj.pieces:
+    pieces.add(piece)
+  result = @['d'.byte]
+  result.add(bencode("length") & bencode(obj.length))
+  if name =? obj.name:
+    result.add(bencode("name") & bencode(name))
+  result.add(bencode("piece length") & bencode(obj.pieceLength))
+  result.add(bencode("pieces") & bencode(pieces))
+  result.add('e'.byte)
+
+proc toString(bytes: seq[byte]): string =
+  result = newStringOfCap(len(bytes))
+  for b in bytes:
+    add(result, b.char)
+
+proc checkEncoding(actual: seq[byte], expected: string) =
+  check actual.toString == expected
+
+suite "b-encoding":
+  test "int":
+    checkEncoding(bencode(1'i8), "i1e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(-1'i8), "i-1e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int8.low), fmt"i{int8.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int8.high), fmt"i{int8.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint8.low), fmt"i{uint8.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint8.high), fmt"i{uint8.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int16.low), fmt"i{int16.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int16.high), fmt"i{int16.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint16.low), fmt"i{uint16.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint16.high), fmt"i{uint16.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int32.low), fmt"i{int32.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int32.high), fmt"i{int32.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint32.low), fmt"i{uint32.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint32.high), fmt"i{uint32.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint.high), fmt"i{uint.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int64.low), fmt"i{int64.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int64.high), fmt"i{int64.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint64.low), fmt"i{uint64.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(uint64.high), fmt"i{uint64.high}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int.low), fmt"i{int.low}e")
+    checkEncoding(bencode(int.high), fmt"i{int.high}e")
+
+  test "empty buffer":
+    let input: array[0, byte] = []
+    check bencode(input) == "0:".toBytes
+
+  test "buffer":
+    let input = [1.byte, 2, 3]
+    check bencode(input) == fmt"{input.len}:".toBytes() & @input
+
+  test "longer buffer":
+    let input = toSeq(1.byte .. 127.byte)
+    check bencode(input) == fmt"{input.len}:".toBytes() & @input
+
+  test "string":
+    let input = "abc"
+    check bencode(input) == "3:abc".toBytes
+
+  test "longer string":
+    let input = exampleString(127)
+    check bencode(input) == fmt"{input.len}:{input}".toBytes
+
+  test "empty string":
+    let input = ""
+    check bencode(input) == "0:".toBytes
+
+  test "empty list":
+    let input: seq[string] = @[]
+    check bencode(input) == "le".toBytes
+
+  test "list (of strings)":
+    let input = ["abc", "def"]
+    check bencode(input) == "l3:abc3:defe".toBytes
+
+  test "list (of seq[byte])":
+    let seq1 = toSeq(1.byte .. 127.byte)
+    let seq2 = toSeq(128.byte .. 150.byte)
+    let input = [seq1, seq2]
+    check bencode(input) ==
+      fmt"l{seq1.len}:".toBytes & seq1 & fmt"{seq2.len}:".toBytes & seq2 & @['e'.byte]
+
+  test "list (of integers)":
+    let input = [1, -2, 3, 0x7f, -0x80, 0xff]
+    check bencode(input) == "li1ei-2ei3ei127ei-128ei255ee".toBytes
+
+  test "custom type":
+    let piece = "1cc46da027e7ff6f1970a2e58880dbc6a08992a0".hexToSeqByte
+    let obj = ExampleObject(
+      length: 40960, pieceLength: 65536, pieces: @[piece], name: "data40k.bin".some
+    )
+    let encoded = bencode(obj)
+    check encoded ==
+      "d6:lengthi40960e4:name11:data40k.bin12:piece lengthi65536e6:pieces20:".toBytes &
+      piece & @['e'.byte]
+    let expectedInfoHash = "1902d602db8c350f4f6d809ed01eff32f030da95"
+    check $sha1.digest(encoded) == expectedInfoHash.toUpperAscii
diff --git a/tests/codex/bittorrent/testmanifest.nim b/tests/codex/bittorrent/testmanifest.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50e98e8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/codex/bittorrent/testmanifest.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import std/unittest
+
+import pkg/libp2p/[cid, multicodec, multihash]
+import pkg/stew/byteutils
+import pkg/questionable
+
+import ../../examples
+import ../../../codex/bittorrent/manifest
+
+suite "BitTorrent manifest":
+  # In the tests below, we use an example info dictionary
+  # from a valid torrent file (v1 so far).
+  # {
+  #   "info": {
+  #     "length": 40960,
+  #     "name": "data40k.bin",
+  #     "piece length": 65536,
+  #     "pieces": [
+  #       "1cc46da027e7ff6f1970a2e58880dbc6a08992a0"
+  #     ]
+  #   }
+  # }
+  let examplePieceHash = "1cc46da027e7ff6f1970a2e58880dbc6a08992a0".hexToSeqByte
+  let examplePieceMultihash = MultiHash.init($Sha1HashCodec, examplePieceHash).tryGet
+  let exampleInfo = BitTorrentInfo(
+    length: 40960,
+    pieceLength: 65536,
+    pieces: @[examplePieceMultihash],
+    name: "data40k.bin".some,
+  )
+  let dummyCodexManifestCid = Cid.init(
+    CIDv1, ManifestCodec, MultiHash.digest($Sha256HashCodec, seq[byte].example()).tryGet
+  ).tryGet
+
+  test "b-encoding info dictionary":
+    let infoEncoded = bencode(exampleInfo)
+    check infoEncoded ==
+      "d6:lengthi40960e4:name11:data40k.bin12:piece lengthi65536e6:pieces20:".toBytes &
+      examplePieceHash & @['e'.byte]
+    let expectedInfoHash = "1902d602db8c350f4f6d809ed01eff32f030da95"
+    check $sha1.digest(infoEncoded) == expectedInfoHash.toUpperAscii
+
+  test "validating against info hash Cid":
+    let infoHash = "1902d602db8c350f4f6d809ed01eff32f030da95".hexToSeqByte
+    let infoMultiHash = MultiHash.init($Sha1HashCodec, infoHash).tryGet
+    let infoHashCid = Cid.init(CIDv1, InfoHashV1Codec, infoMultiHash).tryGet
+    let bitTorrentManifest = newBitTorrentManifest(
+      info = exampleInfo, codexManifestCid = dummyCodexManifestCid
+    )
+
+    check bitTorrentManifest.validate(cid = infoHashCid).tryGet == true
diff --git a/tests/codex/testbittorrent.nim b/tests/codex/testbittorrent.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f36b4045
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/codex/testbittorrent.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import ./bittorrent/testbencoding
+import ./bittorrent/testmanifest
+
+{.warning[UnusedImport]: off.}
diff --git a/tests/testCodex.nim b/tests/testCodex.nim
index 6a9b107e..7967b45c 100644
--- a/tests/testCodex.nim
+++ b/tests/testCodex.nim
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import ./codex/testbittorrent
 import ./codex/teststores
 import ./codex/testblockexchange
 import ./codex/testasyncheapqueue