diff --git a/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot.go b/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot.go
index 352d4ea064e3..629a8494e233 100644
--- a/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot.go
+++ b/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot.go
@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@ package hashutil
 func MerkleRoot(values [][]byte) []byte {
 	length := len(values)
 
-	// Data is hashed so as to be stored as leaves in the tree.
-	for i, v := range values {
-		hashedValue := Hash(v)
-		values[i] = hashedValue[:]
-	}
-
 	newSet := make([][]byte, length, length*2)
 	newSet = append(newSet, values...)
 
diff --git a/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot_test.go b/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot_test.go
index 5c908ccd5ba7..e9f32cc202ac 100644
--- a/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot_test.go
+++ b/shared/hashutil/merkleRoot_test.go
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ func TestMerkleRoot(t *testing.T) {
 		{'d'},
 	}
 
-	hashedV1 := Hash([]byte{'a'})
-	hashedV2 := Hash([]byte{'b'})
-	hashedV3 := Hash([]byte{'c'})
-	hashedV4 := Hash([]byte{'d'})
+	hashedV1 :=[]byte{'a'}
+	hashedV2 := []byte{'b'}
+	hashedV3 := []byte{'c'}
+	hashedV4 := []byte{'d'}
 
 	leftNode := Hash(append(hashedV1[:], hashedV2[:]...))
 	rightNode := Hash(append(hashedV3[:], hashedV4[:]...))