diff --git a/nitro/wallet/deref.nim b/nitro/wallet/deref.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5ff5cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nitro/wallet/deref.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import std/macros
+
+func identName(identDefs: NimNode): NimNode =
+  identDefs.expectKind(nnkIdentDefs)
+  identDefs[0]
+
+func identType(identDefs: NimNode): NimNode =
+  identDefs.expectKind(nnkIdentDefs)
+  identDefs[^2]
+
+func `identType=`(identDefs: NimNode, identType: NimNode) =
+  identDefs.expectKind(nnkIdentDefs)
+  identDefs[^2] = identType
+
+func insertRef(function: NimNode) =
+  function.expectKind(nnkFuncDef)
+  var paramType = function.params[1].identType
+  if paramType.kind == nnkVarTy:
+    paramType = paramType[0]
+  function.params[1].identType = newNimNode(nnkRefTy, paramType).add(paramType)
+
+func paramNames(function: NimNode): seq[NimNode] =
+  function.expectKind(nnkFuncDef)
+  for i in 1..<function.params.len:
+    result.add(function.params[i].identName)
+
+func insertDeref(params: var seq[NimNode]) =
+  params[0] = newNimNode(nnkBracketExpr, params[0]).add(params[0])
+
+func derefOverload(function: NimNode): NimNode =
+  function.expectKind(nnkFuncDef)
+  var arguments = function.paramNames
+  arguments.insertDeref()
+  result = function.copyNimTree()
+  result.insertRef()
+  result.body = newCall(function.name, arguments)
+
+macro deref*(function: untyped{nkFuncDef}): untyped =
+  ## Creates an overload that dereferences the first argument of the function
+  ## call. Roughly equivalent to the `implicitDeref` experimental feature of
+  ## Nim.
+
+  let overload = derefOverload(function)
+  quote do:
+    `function`
+    `overload`
diff --git a/nitro/wallet/wallet.nim b/nitro/wallet/wallet.nim
index 47ee2fb..e173358 100644
--- a/nitro/wallet/wallet.nim
+++ b/nitro/wallet/wallet.nim
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import ./signedstate
 import ./ledger
 import ./balances
 import ./nonces
+import ./deref
 
 push: {.upraises:[].}
 
@@ -19,21 +20,25 @@ type
     key: EthPrivateKey
     channels: Table[ChannelId, SignedState]
     nonces: Nonces
+  WalletRef* = ref Wallet
   ChannelId* = Destination
   Payment* = tuple
     destination: Destination
     amount: UInt256
 
 func init*(_: type Wallet, key: EthPrivateKey): Wallet =
-  result.key = key
+  Wallet(key: key)
 
-func publicKey*(wallet: Wallet): EthPublicKey =
+func new*(_: type WalletRef, key: EthPrivateKey): WalletRef =
+  WalletRef(key: key)
+
+func publicKey*(wallet: Wallet): EthPublicKey {.deref.} =
   wallet.key.toPublicKey
 
-func address*(wallet: Wallet): EthAddress =
+func address*(wallet: Wallet): EthAddress {.deref.} =
   wallet.publicKey.toAddress
 
-func destination*(wallet: Wallet): Destination =
+func destination*(wallet: Wallet): Destination {.deref.}=
   wallet.address.toDestination
 
 func sign(wallet: Wallet, state: SignedState): SignedState =
@@ -63,7 +68,7 @@ func openLedgerChannel*(wallet: var Wallet,
                         chainId: UInt256,
                         nonce: UInt48,
                         asset: EthAddress,
-                        amount: UInt256): ?!ChannelId =
+                        amount: UInt256): ?!ChannelId {.deref.} =
   let state = startLedger(wallet.address, hub, chainId, nonce, asset, amount)
   wallet.createChannel(state)
 
@@ -71,11 +76,12 @@ func openLedgerChannel*(wallet: var Wallet,
                         hub: EthAddress,
                         chainId: UInt256,
                         asset: EthAddress,
-                        amount: UInt256): ?!ChannelId =
+                        amount: UInt256): ?!ChannelId {.deref.} =
   let nonce = wallet.nonces.getNonce(chainId, wallet.address, hub)
   openLedgerChannel(wallet, hub, chainId, nonce, asset, amount)
 
-func acceptChannel*(wallet: var Wallet, signed: SignedState): ?!ChannelId =
+func acceptChannel*(wallet: var Wallet,
+                    signed: SignedState): ?!ChannelId {.deref.} =
   if not signed.hasParticipant(wallet.address):
     return failure "wallet owner is not a participant"
 
@@ -84,18 +90,21 @@ func acceptChannel*(wallet: var Wallet, signed: SignedState): ?!ChannelId =
 
   wallet.createChannel(signed)
 
-func latestSignedState*(wallet: Wallet, channel: ChannelId): ?SignedState =
+func latestSignedState*(wallet: Wallet,
+                        channel: ChannelId): ?SignedState {.deref.} =
   wallet.channels.?[channel]
 
-func state*(wallet: Wallet, channel: ChannelId): ?State =
+func state*(wallet: Wallet,
+            channel: ChannelId): ?State {.deref.} =
   wallet.latestSignedState(channel).?state
 
-func signatures*(wallet: Wallet, channel: ChannelId): ?seq[Signature] =
+func signatures*(wallet: Wallet,
+                 channel: ChannelId): ?seq[Signature] {.deref.} =
   wallet.latestSignedState(channel).?signatures
 
 func signature*(wallet: Wallet,
                 channel: ChannelId,
-                address: EthAddress): ?Signature =
+                address: EthAddress): ?Signature {.deref.} =
   if signed =? wallet.latestSignedState(channel):
     for signature in signed.signatures:
       if signer =? signature.recover(signed.state):
@@ -117,7 +126,7 @@ func balance(state: State,
 func balance*(wallet: Wallet,
               channel: ChannelId,
               asset: EthAddress,
-              destination: Destination): UInt256 =
+              destination: Destination): UInt256 {.deref.} =
   if state =? wallet.state(channel):
     state.balance(asset, destination)
   else:
@@ -126,10 +135,12 @@ func balance*(wallet: Wallet,
 func balance*(wallet: Wallet,
               channel: ChannelId,
               asset: EthAddress,
-              address: EthAddress): UInt256 =
+              address: EthAddress): UInt256 {.deref.} =
   wallet.balance(channel, asset, address.toDestination)
 
-func balance*(wallet: Wallet, channel: ChannelId, asset: EthAddress): UInt256 =
+func balance*(wallet: Wallet,
+              channel: ChannelId,
+              asset: EthAddress): UInt256 {.deref.} =
   wallet.balance(channel, asset, wallet.address)
 
 func total(state: State, asset: EthAddress): UInt256 =
@@ -149,7 +160,7 @@ func pay*(wallet: var Wallet,
           channel: ChannelId,
           asset: EthAddress,
           receiver: Destination,
-          amount: UInt256): ?!SignedState =
+          amount: UInt256): ?!SignedState {.deref.} =
   without var state =? wallet.state(channel):
     return failure "channel not found"
 
@@ -165,14 +176,14 @@ func pay*(wallet: var Wallet,
           channel: ChannelId,
           asset: EthAddress,
           receiver: EthAddress,
-          amount: UInt256): ?!SignedState =
+          amount: UInt256): ?!SignedState {.deref.} =
   wallet.pay(channel, asset, receiver.toDestination, amount)
 
 func acceptPayment*(wallet: var Wallet,
                     channel: ChannelId,
                     asset: EthAddress,
                     sender: EthAddress,
-                    payment: SignedState): ?!void =
+                    payment: SignedState): ?!void {.deref.} =
   if not wallet.channels.contains(channel):
     return failure "unknown channel"
 
diff --git a/tests/nitro/testWallet.nim b/tests/nitro/testWallet.nim
index c544cb5..0d78712 100644
--- a/tests/nitro/testWallet.nim
+++ b/tests/nitro/testWallet.nim
@@ -213,3 +213,19 @@ suite "wallet: accepting payments":
     payment.state.appDefinition = EthAddress.example
     payment.signatures = @[payerKey.sign(payment.state)]
     check receiver.acceptPayment(channel, asset, payer.address, payment).isFailure
+
+suite "wallet reference type":
+
+  let asset = EthAddress.example
+  let amount = 42.u256
+  let chainId = UInt256.example
+
+  test "wallet can also be used as a reference type":
+    let wallet1 = WalletRef.new(EthPrivateKey.random())
+    let wallet2 = WalletRef.new(EthPrivateKey.random())
+    let address1 = wallet1.address
+    let address2 = wallet2.address
+    let channel = !wallet1.openLedgerChannel(address2, chainId, asset, amount)
+    check !wallet2.acceptChannel(!wallet1.latestSignedState(channel)) == channel
+    let payment = !wallet1.pay(channel, asset, address2, amount)
+    check wallet2.acceptPayment(channel, asset, address1, payment).isSuccess