diff --git a/src/lib/utils.ts b/src/lib/utils.ts
index 1ab66670cd..217de7626b 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils.ts
+++ b/src/lib/utils.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 import { keccak256, Message } from "js-sha3";
+import { fromString } from "uint8arrays/from-string";
+import { toString } from "uint8arrays/to-string";
 
 /**
  * Convert input to a byte array.
+ *
+ * Handles both `0x` prefixed and non-prefixed strings.
  */
 export function hexToBytes(hex: string | Uint8Array): Uint8Array {
   if (typeof hex === "string") {
     const _hex = hex.replace(/^0x/i, "");
-    const bytes = [];
-    for (let c = 0; c < _hex.length; c += 2)
-      bytes.push(parseInt(_hex.substring(c, c + 2), 16));
-
-    return new Uint8Array(bytes);
+    return fromString(_hex, "base16");
   }
   return hex;
 }
@@ -18,15 +18,8 @@ export function hexToBytes(hex: string | Uint8Array): Uint8Array {
 /**
  * Convert byte array to hex string (no `0x` prefix).
  */
-export function bytesToHex(bytes: Uint8Array): string {
-  const hex = [];
-  for (let i = 0; i < bytes.length; i++) {
-    const current = bytes[i] < 0 ? bytes[i] + 256 : bytes[i];
-    hex.push((current >>> 4).toString(16));
-    hex.push((current & 0xf).toString(16));
-  }
-  return hex.join("");
-}
+export const bytesToHex = (bytes: Uint8Array): string =>
+  toString(bytes, "base16");
 
 /**
  * Return Keccak-256 of the input.