diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f611632b..53c1ad55 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ members = [
     "pallas-chainsync",
     "pallas-txsubmission",
     "pallas-localstate",
+    "pallas-crypto",
     "pallas-alonzo",
     "pallas",
 ]
diff --git a/pallas-alonzo/Cargo.toml b/pallas-alonzo/Cargo.toml
index af60fcbd..5d4ef139 100644
--- a/pallas-alonzo/Cargo.toml
+++ b/pallas-alonzo/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,13 +12,9 @@ authors = [
     "Santiago Carmuega <santiago@carmuega.me>"
 ]
 
-[features]
-crypto = ["cryptoxide"]
-
 [dependencies]
 minicbor = { version = "0.12", features = ["std"] }
 minicbor-derive = "0.8.0"
 hex = "0.4.3"
 log = "0.4.14"
-cryptoxide = { version = "0.3.6", optional = true }
-
+pallas-crypto = { version = "0.3", path = "../pallas-crypto" }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pallas-alonzo/src/crypto.rs b/pallas-alonzo/src/crypto.rs
index 4951a39c..0ee66b03 100644
--- a/pallas-alonzo/src/crypto.rs
+++ b/pallas-alonzo/src/crypto.rs
@@ -1,66 +1,20 @@
 use crate::{AuxiliaryData, Header, PlutusData, TransactionBody};
-use cryptoxide::blake2b::Blake2b;
-use minicbor::Encode;
+use pallas_crypto::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
 
-pub type Hash32 = [u8; 32];
-
-pub type Error = Box<dyn std::error::Error>;
-
-struct Hasher<const N: usize> {
-    inner: Blake2b,
-}
-
-impl Hasher<256> {
-    #[inline]
-    fn new() -> Self {
-        Self {
-            inner: Blake2b::new(32),
-        }
-    }
-
-    #[inline]
-    fn result(mut self) -> Hash32 {
-        use cryptoxide::digest::Digest as _;
-
-        let mut hash = [0; 32];
-        self.inner.result(&mut hash);
-        hash
-    }
-}
-
-impl<'a, const N: usize> minicbor::encode::write::Write for &'a mut Hasher<N> {
-    type Error = std::convert::Infallible;
-
-    fn write_all(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
-        use cryptoxide::digest::Digest as _;
-        self.inner.input(buf);
-        Ok(())
-    }
-}
-
-// TODO: think if we should turn this into a blanket implementation of a new
-// trait
-fn hash_cbor_encodable(data: &impl Encode) -> Result<Hash32, Error> {
-    let mut hasher = Hasher::<256>::new();
-    let () = minicbor::encode(data, &mut hasher)?;
-
-    Ok(hasher.result())
-}
-
-pub fn hash_block_header(data: &Header) -> Result<Hash32, Error> {
-    hash_cbor_encodable(data)
+pub fn hash_block_header(data: &Header) -> Hash<32> {
+    Hasher::<256>::hash_cbor(data)
 }
 
-pub fn hash_auxiliary_data(data: &AuxiliaryData) -> Result<Hash32, Error> {
-    hash_cbor_encodable(data)
+pub fn hash_auxiliary_data(data: &AuxiliaryData) -> Hash<32> {
+    Hasher::<256>::hash_cbor(data)
 }
 
-pub fn hash_transaction(data: &TransactionBody) -> Result<Hash32, Error> {
-    hash_cbor_encodable(data)
+pub fn hash_transaction(data: &TransactionBody) -> Hash<32> {
+    Hasher::<256>::hash_cbor(data)
 }
 
-pub fn hash_plutus_data(data: &PlutusData) -> Result<Hash32, Error> {
-    hash_cbor_encodable(data)
+pub fn hash_plutus_data(data: &PlutusData) -> Hash<32> {
+    Hasher::<256>::hash_cbor(data)
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -88,10 +42,7 @@ mod tests {
         ];
 
         for (tx_idx, tx) in block_model.1.transaction_bodies.iter().enumerate() {
-            let computed_hash = hash_transaction(tx).expect(&format!(
-                "error hashing tx {} from block {}",
-                tx_idx, block_idx
-            ));
+            let computed_hash = hash_transaction(tx);
             let known_hash = valid_hashes[tx_idx];
             assert_eq!(hex::encode(computed_hash), known_hash)
         }
diff --git a/pallas-alonzo/src/lib.rs b/pallas-alonzo/src/lib.rs
index 7db969ec..e26af565 100644
--- a/pallas-alonzo/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pallas-alonzo/src/lib.rs
@@ -7,5 +7,4 @@ mod utils;
 pub use framework::*;
 pub use model::*;
 
-#[cfg(feature = "crypto")]
 pub mod crypto;
diff --git a/pallas-chainsync/Cargo.toml b/pallas-chainsync/Cargo.toml
index ad195992..0e15da4a 100644
--- a/pallas-chainsync/Cargo.toml
+++ b/pallas-chainsync/Cargo.toml
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@ cryptoxide = "0.3.6"
 env_logger = "0.9.0"
 pallas-handshake = { version = "0.3.0", path = "../pallas-handshake/" }
 pallas-txsubmission = { version = "0.3.0", path = "../pallas-txsubmission/" }
-pallas-alonzo = { version = "0.3.0", path = "../pallas-alonzo/", features = ["crypto"] }
+pallas-alonzo = { version = "0.3.0", path = "../pallas-alonzo/" }
diff --git a/pallas-chainsync/examples/blocks.rs b/pallas-chainsync/examples/blocks.rs
index 7e9fc746..84138cc9 100644
--- a/pallas-chainsync/examples/blocks.rs
+++ b/pallas-chainsync/examples/blocks.rs
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ impl DecodePayload for Content {
 
 impl BlockLike for Content {
     fn block_point(&self) -> Result<Point, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
-        let hash = crypto::hash_block_header(&self.0.header)?;
-        Ok(Point(self.0.header.header_body.slot, Vec::from(hash)))
+        let hash = crypto::hash_block_header(&self.0.header);
+        Ok(Point(self.0.header.header_body.slot, hash.to_vec()))
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/pallas-chainsync/examples/headers.rs b/pallas-chainsync/examples/headers.rs
index 572b0758..8d1c0f86 100644
--- a/pallas-chainsync/examples/headers.rs
+++ b/pallas-chainsync/examples/headers.rs
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ impl DecodePayload for Content {
 
 impl BlockLike for Content {
     fn block_point(&self) -> Result<Point, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
-        let hash = crypto::hash_block_header(&self.1)?;
-        Ok(Point(self.1.header_body.slot, Vec::from(hash)))
+        let hash = crypto::hash_block_header(&self.1);
+        Ok(Point(self.1.header_body.slot, hash.to_vec()))
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/pallas-crypto/Cargo.toml b/pallas-crypto/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..81101a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pallas-crypto/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+[package]
+name = "pallas-crypto"
+description = "Cryptographic primitives for Cardano"
+version = "0.3.0"
+edition = "2021"
+repository = "https://github.com/txpipe/pallas"
+homepage = "https://github.com/txpipe/pallas"
+documentation = "https://docs.rs/pallas-crypto"
+license = "Apache-2.0"
+readme = "README.md"
+authors = [
+    "Nicolas Di Prima <nicolas@primetype.co.uk>"
+]
+
+[dependencies]
+minicbor = { version = "0.12" }
+hex = "0.4"
+cryptoxide = { version = "0.3.6" }
+
diff --git a/pallas-crypto/README.md b/pallas-crypto/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..849a0534
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pallas-crypto/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Pallas Crypto
+
+Crate with all the cryptographic material to support Cardano protocol:
+
+- [x] Blake2b 256
+- [x] Blake2b 224
+- [ ] Ed25519 asymmetric key pair and ECDSA
+- [ ] Ed25519 Extended asymmetric key pair
+- [ ] Bip32-Ed25519 key derivation
+- [ ] BIP39 mnemonics
+- [ ] VRF
+- [ ] KES
+- [ ] SECP256k1
+
diff --git a/pallas-crypto/src/hash/hash.rs b/pallas-crypto/src/hash/hash.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2efb710e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pallas-crypto/src/hash/hash.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+use std::{fmt, ops::Deref, str::FromStr};
+
+/// data that is a cryptographic [`struct@Hash`] of `BYTES` long.
+///
+/// Possible values with Cardano are 32 bytes long (block hash or transaction
+/// hash). Or 28 bytes long (as used in addresses)
+///
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash)]
+pub struct Hash<const BYTES: usize>([u8; BYTES]);
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> Hash<BYTES> {
+    #[inline]
+    pub const fn new(bytes: [u8; BYTES]) -> Self {
+        Self(bytes)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> From<[u8; BYTES]> for Hash<BYTES> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn from(bytes: [u8; BYTES]) -> Self {
+        Self::new(bytes)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> AsRef<[u8]> for Hash<BYTES> {
+    #[inline]
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> Deref for Hash<BYTES> {
+    type Target = [u8; BYTES];
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> PartialEq<[u8]> for Hash<BYTES> {
+    fn eq(&self, other: &[u8]) -> bool {
+        self.0.eq(other)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> fmt::Debug for Hash<BYTES> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_tuple(&format!("Hash<{size}>", size = BYTES))
+            .field(&hex::encode(self))
+            .finish()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> fmt::Display for Hash<BYTES> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        f.write_str(&hex::encode(self))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<const BYTES: usize> FromStr for Hash<BYTES> {
+    type Err = hex::FromHexError;
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        let mut bytes = [0; BYTES];
+        hex::decode_to_slice(s, &mut bytes)?;
+        Ok(Self::new(bytes))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn from_str() {
+        let _digest: Hash<28> = "276fd18711931e2c0e21430192dbeac0e458093cd9d1fcd7210f64b3"
+            .parse()
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let _digest: Hash<32> = "0d8d00cdd4657ac84d82f0a56067634a7adfdf43da41cb534bcaa45060973d21"
+            .parse()
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn from_str_fail_1() {
+        let _digest: Hash<28> = "27".parse().unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn from_str_fail_2() {
+        let _digest: Hash<32> = "0d8d00cdd465".parse().unwrap();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pallas-crypto/src/hash/hasher.rs b/pallas-crypto/src/hash/hasher.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eaf55907
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pallas-crypto/src/hash/hasher.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+use crate::hash::Hash;
+use cryptoxide::blake2b::Blake2b;
+use minicbor::encode::Write;
+
+/// handy method to create a hash of given `SIZE` bit size.
+///
+/// The hash algorithm is `Blake2b` and the constant parameter is
+/// the number of bits to generate. Good values are `256` or `224` for
+/// Cardano.
+///
+/// # Generate a cryptographic hash with Blake2b 256
+///
+/// The following will generate a 32 bytes digest output
+///
+/// ```
+/// # use pallas_crypto::hash::Hasher;
+///
+/// let mut hasher = Hasher::<256>::new();
+/// hasher.input(b"My transaction");
+///
+/// let digest = hasher.finalize();
+/// # assert_eq!(
+/// #   "0d8d00cdd4657ac84d82f0a56067634a7adfdf43da41cb534bcaa45060973d21",
+/// #   hex::encode(digest)
+/// # );
+/// ```
+///
+/// # Generate a cryptographic hash with Blake2b 224
+///
+/// The following will generate a 28 bytes digest output. This is used
+/// to generate the hash of public keys for addresses.
+///
+/// ```
+/// # use pallas_crypto::hash::Hasher;
+///
+/// let digest = Hasher::<224>::hash(b"My Public Key");
+/// # assert_eq!(
+/// #   "c123c9bc0e9e31a20a4aa23518836ec5fb54bdc85735c56b38eb79a5",
+/// #   hex::encode(digest)
+/// # );
+/// ```
+pub struct Hasher<const BITS: usize>(Blake2b);
+
+impl<const BITS: usize> Hasher<BITS> {
+    /// update the [`Hasher`] with the given inputs
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn input(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) {
+        use cryptoxide::digest::Digest as _;
+        self.0.input(bytes);
+    }
+}
+
+macro_rules! common_hasher {
+    ($size:literal) => {
+        impl Hasher<$size> {
+            /// create a new [`Hasher`]
+            #[inline]
+            pub fn new() -> Self {
+                Self(Blake2b::new($size / 8))
+            }
+
+            /// convenient function to directly generate the hash
+            /// of the given bytes without creating the intermediary
+            /// types [`Hasher`] and calling [`Hasher::input`].
+            #[inline]
+            pub fn hash(bytes: &[u8]) -> Hash<{ $size / 8 }> {
+                let mut hasher = Self::new();
+                hasher.input(bytes);
+                hasher.finalize()
+            }
+
+            /// convenient function to directly generate the hash
+            /// of the given [minicbor::Encode] data object
+            #[inline]
+            pub fn hash_cbor(data: &impl minicbor::Encode) -> Hash<{ $size / 8 }> {
+                let mut hasher = Self::new();
+                let () = minicbor::encode(data, &mut hasher).expect("Infallible");
+                hasher.finalize()
+            }
+
+            /// consume the [`Hasher`] and returns the computed digest
+            pub fn finalize(mut self) -> Hash<{ $size / 8 }> {
+                use cryptoxide::digest::Digest as _;
+                let mut hash = [0; $size / 8];
+                self.0.result(&mut hash);
+                Hash::new(hash)
+            }
+        }
+
+        impl Default for Hasher<$size> {
+            fn default() -> Self {
+                Self::new()
+            }
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+common_hasher!(224);
+common_hasher!(256);
+
+/*
+TODO: somehow the `minicbor::Write` does not allow to implement this
+      version of the trait and to automatically have the impl of the
+      other one automatically derived by default.
+
+impl<const BITS: usize> Write for Hasher<BITS> {
+    type Error = std::convert::Infallible;
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn write_all(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
+        self.input(buf);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+*/
+
+impl<'a, const BITS: usize> Write for &'a mut Hasher<BITS> {
+    type Error = std::convert::Infallible;
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn write_all(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
+        self.input(buf);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pallas-crypto/src/hash/mod.rs b/pallas-crypto/src/hash/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca3b15e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pallas-crypto/src/hash/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+//! Cryptographic Hash for Cardano
+//!
+//! we expose two helper objects:
+//!
+//! * [`Hasher`] to help streaming objects or bytes into a hasher
+//!   and computing a hash without allocating extra memory due to
+//!   the required **CBOR** encoding for everything by the cardano
+//!   protocol
+//! * [`struct@Hash`] a conveniently strongly typed byte array
+//!
+//! The algorithm exposed here is `Blake2b`. We currently support two
+//! digest size for the algorithm: 224 bits and 256 bits. They are the
+//! only two required to use with the Cardano protocol
+//!
+//! # Example
+//!
+//! ```
+//! use pallas_crypto::hash::Hasher;
+//!
+//! let mut hasher = Hasher::<224>::new();
+//! hasher.input(b"my key");
+//!
+//! let digest = hasher.finalize();
+//! # assert_eq!(
+//! #   "276fd18711931e2c0e21430192dbeac0e458093cd9d1fcd7210f64b3",
+//! #   hex::encode(digest)
+//! # );
+//! ```
+
+#[allow(clippy::module_inception)]
+mod hash;
+mod hasher;
+
+pub use self::{hash::Hash, hasher::Hasher};
diff --git a/pallas-crypto/src/lib.rs b/pallas-crypto/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ec5d33c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pallas-crypto/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pub mod hash;
diff --git a/pallas/Cargo.toml b/pallas/Cargo.toml
index fb86b8f3..66712b0d 100644
--- a/pallas/Cargo.toml
+++ b/pallas/Cargo.toml
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ pallas-chainsync = { version = "0.3.5", path = "../pallas-chainsync/" }
 pallas-blockfetch = { version = "0.3.4", path = "../pallas-blockfetch/" }
 pallas-localstate = { version = "0.3.5", path = "../pallas-localstate/" }
 pallas-txsubmission = { version = "0.3.5", path = "../pallas-txsubmission/" }
-pallas-alonzo = { version = "0.3.7", path = "../pallas-alonzo/", features=["crypto"] }
+pallas-alonzo = { version = "0.3.7", path = "../pallas-alonzo/" }
+pallas-crypto = { version = "0.3.0", path = "../pallas-crypto/" }
diff --git a/pallas/src/lib.rs b/pallas/src/lib.rs
index 2919145c..52a27934 100644
--- a/pallas/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pallas/src/lib.rs
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@
 pub mod ouroboros;
 
 pub mod ledger;
+pub use pallas_crypto as crypto;