diff --git a/packages/bcp/src/address.spec.ts b/packages/bcp/src/address.spec.ts
index cdfd3e31..0b52e387 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/src/address.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/src/address.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Algorithm, PubkeyBytes } from "@iov/bcp";
 import { Encoding } from "@iov/encoding";
 
-import { decodeCosmosPubkey, isValidAddress, pubkeyToAddress } from "./address";
+import { decodeCosmosPubkey, pubkeyToAddress } from "./address";
 
 const { fromBase64, fromHex } = Encoding;
 
@@ -17,23 +17,6 @@ describe("address", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe("isValidAddress", () => {
-    it("accepts valid addresses", () => {
-      expect(isValidAddress("cosmos1pkptre7fdkl6gfrzlesjjvhxhlc3r4gmmk8rs6")).toEqual(true);
-      expect(isValidAddress("cosmosvalcons10q82zkzzmaku5lazhsvxv7hsg4ntpuhdwadmss")).toEqual(true);
-      expect(isValidAddress("cosmosvaloper17mggn4znyeyg25wd7498qxl7r2jhgue8u4qjcq")).toEqual(true);
-    });
-
-    it("rejects invalid addresses", () => {
-      // Bad size
-      expect(isValidAddress("cosmos10q82zkzzmaku5lazhsvxv7hsg4ntpuhh8289f")).toEqual(false);
-      // Bad checksum
-      expect(isValidAddress("cosmos1pkptre7fdkl6gfrzlesjjvhxhlc3r4gmmk8rs7")).toEqual(false);
-      // Bad prefix
-      expect(isValidAddress("cosmot10q82zkzzmaku5lazhsvxv7hsg4ntpuhd8j5266")).toEqual(false);
-    });
-  });
-
   describe("pubkeyToAddress", () => {
     it("works for Secp256k1 compressed", () => {
       const prefix = "cosmos";
diff --git a/packages/bcp/src/address.ts b/packages/bcp/src/address.ts
index ce6aa25b..c702edea 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/src/address.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/src/address.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix, decodeBech32Pubkey, encodeAddress, isValidAddress, types } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix, decodeBech32Pubkey, encodeAddress, types } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import { Address, Algorithm, PubkeyBundle, PubkeyBytes } from "@iov/bcp";
 import { Secp256k1 } from "@iov/crypto";
 import { Encoding } from "@iov/encoding";
 
-export { CosmosBech32Prefix, isValidAddress };
-
 const { fromBase64, toBase64 } = Encoding;
 
 export function decodeCosmosPubkey(
@@ -22,7 +20,7 @@ export function decodeCosmosPubkey(
 }
 
 // See https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/blob/f2ada0a604b4c0763bda2f64fac53d506d3beca7/docs/spec/blockchain/encoding.md#public-key-cryptography
-export function pubkeyToAddress(pubkey: PubkeyBundle, prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix): Address {
+export function pubkeyToAddress(pubkey: PubkeyBundle, prefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix): Address {
   let sdkKey: types.PubKey;
   if (pubkey.algo === Algorithm.Secp256k1) {
     sdkKey = {
diff --git a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.spec.ts b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.spec.ts
index 8f5604be..e82d3870 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.spec.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,27 @@ import { chainId, nonce, sendTxJson, signedTxBin, signedTxEncodedJson, signedTxJ
 const { toUtf8 } = Encoding;
 
 describe("cosmWasmCodec", () => {
+  describe("isValidAddress", () => {
+    it("accepts valid addresses", () => {
+      expect(cosmWasmCodec.isValidAddress("cosmos1pkptre7fdkl6gfrzlesjjvhxhlc3r4gmmk8rs6")).toEqual(true);
+      expect(cosmWasmCodec.isValidAddress("cosmosvalcons10q82zkzzmaku5lazhsvxv7hsg4ntpuhdwadmss")).toEqual(
+        true,
+      );
+      expect(cosmWasmCodec.isValidAddress("cosmosvaloper17mggn4znyeyg25wd7498qxl7r2jhgue8u4qjcq")).toEqual(
+        true,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it("rejects invalid addresses", () => {
+      // Bad size
+      expect(cosmWasmCodec.isValidAddress("cosmos10q82zkzzmaku5lazhsvxv7hsg4ntpuhh8289f")).toEqual(false);
+      // Bad checksum
+      expect(cosmWasmCodec.isValidAddress("cosmos1pkptre7fdkl6gfrzlesjjvhxhlc3r4gmmk8rs7")).toEqual(false);
+      // Bad prefix
+      expect(cosmWasmCodec.isValidAddress("cosmot10q82zkzzmaku5lazhsvxv7hsg4ntpuhd8j5266")).toEqual(false);
+    });
+  });
+
   it("properly generates bytes to sign", () => {
     const expected = {
       bytes: toUtf8(
diff --git a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.ts b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.ts
index 58644f2b..ff3a9879 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmcodec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/camelcase */
-import { makeSignBytes, marshalTx, types, unmarshalTx } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
+import {
+  CosmosAddressBech32Prefix,
+  isValidAddress,
+  makeSignBytes,
+  marshalTx,
+  types,
+  unmarshalTx,
+} from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import {
   Address,
   ChainId,
@@ -15,18 +22,18 @@ import {
   UnsignedTransaction,
 } from "@iov/bcp";
 
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix, isValidAddress, pubkeyToAddress } from "./address";
+import { pubkeyToAddress } from "./address";
 import { Caip5 } from "./caip5";
 import { parseTx } from "./decode";
 import { buildSignedTx, buildUnsignedTx } from "./encode";
 import { nonceToAccountNumber, nonceToSequence, TokenInfos } from "./types";
 
 export class CosmWasmCodec implements TxCodec {
-  private readonly prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix;
+  private readonly addressPrefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix;
   private readonly tokens: TokenInfos;
 
-  public constructor(prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix, tokens: TokenInfos) {
-    this.prefix = prefix;
+  public constructor(prefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix, tokens: TokenInfos) {
+    this.addressPrefix = prefix;
     this.tokens = tokens;
   }
 
@@ -76,7 +83,7 @@ export class CosmWasmCodec implements TxCodec {
   }
 
   public identityToAddress(identity: Identity): Address {
-    return pubkeyToAddress(identity.pubkey, this.prefix);
+    return pubkeyToAddress(identity.pubkey, this.addressPrefix);
   }
 
   public isValidAddress(address: string): boolean {
@@ -84,7 +91,7 @@ export class CosmWasmCodec implements TxCodec {
   }
 }
 
-const defaultPrefix = "cosmos" as CosmosBech32Prefix;
+const defaultPrefix = "cosmos" as CosmosAddressBech32Prefix;
 
 const defaultTokens: TokenInfos = [
   {
diff --git a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.spec.ts b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.spec.ts
index c59759a7..36e29773 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.spec.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import {
   Address,
   Algorithm,
@@ -14,7 +15,6 @@ import { Secp256k1 } from "@iov/crypto";
 import { Encoding } from "@iov/encoding";
 import { HdPaths, Secp256k1HdWallet, UserProfile } from "@iov/keycontrol";
 
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix } from "./address";
 import { CosmWasmCodec, cosmWasmCodec } from "./cosmwasmcodec";
 import { CosmWasmConnection, TokenConfiguration } from "./cosmwasmconnection";
 import { signedTxJson, txId } from "./testdata.spec";
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ describe("CosmWasmConnection", () => {
   const faucetPath = HdPaths.cosmos(0);
   const defaultRecipient = "cosmos1t70qnpr0az8tf7py83m4ue5y89w58lkjmx0yq2" as Address;
 
-  const defaultPrefix = "cosmos" as CosmosBech32Prefix;
+  const defaultPrefix = "cosmos" as CosmosAddressBech32Prefix;
 
   // this is for wasmd blockchain
   const defaultTokens: TokenConfiguration = [
diff --git a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.ts b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.ts
index fe4c9f2d..25790a6a 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnection.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/camelcase */
-import { RestClient, TxsResponse, types, unmarshalTx } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix, RestClient, TxsResponse, types, unmarshalTx } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import {
   Account,
   AccountQuery,
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import equal from "fast-deep-equal";
 import { ReadonlyDate } from "readonly-date";
 import { Stream } from "xstream";
 
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix, decodeCosmosPubkey, pubkeyToAddress } from "./address";
+import { decodeCosmosPubkey, pubkeyToAddress } from "./address";
 import { Caip5 } from "./caip5";
 import { decodeAmount, parseTxsResponse } from "./decode";
 import { accountToNonce, TokenInfo } from "./types";
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ export class CosmWasmConnection implements BlockchainConnection {
   // we must know prefix and tokens a priori to understand the chain
   public static async establish(
     url: string,
-    prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix,
+    addressPrefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix,
     tokens: TokenConfiguration,
   ): Promise<CosmWasmConnection> {
     const restClient = new RestClient(url);
     const chainData = await this.initialize(restClient);
-    return new CosmWasmConnection(restClient, chainData, prefix, tokens);
+    return new CosmWasmConnection(restClient, chainData, addressPrefix, tokens);
   }
 
   private static async initialize(restClient: RestClient): Promise<ChainData> {
@@ -90,26 +90,22 @@ export class CosmWasmConnection implements BlockchainConnection {
 
   private readonly restClient: RestClient;
   private readonly chainData: ChainData;
-  private readonly _prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix;
+  private readonly addressPrefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix;
   private readonly tokenInfo: readonly TokenInfo[];
 
   // these are derived from arguments (cached for use in multiple functions)
   private readonly primaryToken: Token;
   private readonly supportedTokens: readonly Token[];
 
-  private get prefix(): CosmosBech32Prefix {
-    return this._prefix;
-  }
-
   private constructor(
     restClient: RestClient,
     chainData: ChainData,
-    prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix,
+    addressPrefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix,
     tokens: TokenConfiguration,
   ) {
     this.restClient = restClient;
     this.chainData = chainData;
-    this._prefix = prefix;
+    this.addressPrefix = addressPrefix;
     this.tokenInfo = tokens;
 
     this.supportedTokens = tokens.map(info => ({
@@ -149,7 +145,7 @@ export class CosmWasmConnection implements BlockchainConnection {
   }
 
   public async getAccount(query: AccountQuery): Promise<Account | undefined> {
-    const address = isPubkeyQuery(query) ? pubkeyToAddress(query.pubkey, this.prefix) : query.address;
+    const address = isPubkeyQuery(query) ? pubkeyToAddress(query.pubkey, this.addressPrefix) : query.address;
     const { result } = await this.restClient.authAccounts(address);
     const account = result.value;
     if (!account.address) {
@@ -172,7 +168,7 @@ export class CosmWasmConnection implements BlockchainConnection {
   }
 
   public async getNonce(query: AddressQuery | PubkeyQuery): Promise<Nonce> {
-    const address = isPubkeyQuery(query) ? pubkeyToAddress(query.pubkey, this.prefix) : query.address;
+    const address = isPubkeyQuery(query) ? pubkeyToAddress(query.pubkey, this.addressPrefix) : query.address;
     const { result } = await this.restClient.authAccounts(address);
     const account = result.value;
     return accountToNonce(account);
diff --git a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnector.ts b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnector.ts
index af0673a3..61aaf006 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnector.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/src/cosmwasmconnector.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import { ChainConnector, ChainId } from "@iov/bcp";
 
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix } from "./address";
 import { CosmWasmCodec } from "./cosmwasmcodec";
 import { CosmWasmConnection, TokenConfiguration } from "./cosmwasmconnection";
 
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ import { CosmWasmConnection, TokenConfiguration } from "./cosmwasmconnection";
  */
 export function createCosmWasmConnector(
   url: string,
-  prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix,
+  addressPrefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix,
   tokens: TokenConfiguration,
   expectedChainId?: ChainId,
 ): ChainConnector<CosmWasmConnection> {
-  const codec = new CosmWasmCodec(prefix, tokens);
+  const codec = new CosmWasmCodec(addressPrefix, tokens);
   return {
-    establishConnection: async () => CosmWasmConnection.establish(url, prefix, tokens),
+    establishConnection: async () => CosmWasmConnection.establish(url, addressPrefix, tokens),
     codec: codec,
     expectedChainId: expectedChainId,
   };
diff --git a/packages/bcp/types/address.d.ts b/packages/bcp/types/address.d.ts
index 158addbc..7a2c395c 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/types/address.d.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/types/address.d.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix, isValidAddress } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import { Address, Algorithm, PubkeyBundle, PubkeyBytes } from "@iov/bcp";
-export { CosmosBech32Prefix, isValidAddress };
 export declare function decodeCosmosPubkey(
   encodedPubkey: string,
 ): {
   readonly algo: Algorithm;
   readonly data: PubkeyBytes;
 };
-export declare function pubkeyToAddress(pubkey: PubkeyBundle, prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix): Address;
+export declare function pubkeyToAddress(pubkey: PubkeyBundle, prefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix): Address;
diff --git a/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmcodec.d.ts b/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmcodec.d.ts
index 9ce8a6f0..76121658 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmcodec.d.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmcodec.d.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import {
   Address,
   ChainId,
@@ -10,12 +11,11 @@ import {
   TxCodec,
   UnsignedTransaction,
 } from "@iov/bcp";
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix } from "./address";
 import { TokenInfos } from "./types";
 export declare class CosmWasmCodec implements TxCodec {
-  private readonly prefix;
+  private readonly addressPrefix;
   private readonly tokens;
-  constructor(prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix, tokens: TokenInfos);
+  constructor(prefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix, tokens: TokenInfos);
   bytesToSign(unsigned: UnsignedTransaction, nonce: Nonce): SigningJob;
   bytesToPost(signed: SignedTransaction): PostableBytes;
   identifier(_signed: SignedTransaction): TransactionId;
diff --git a/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnection.d.ts b/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnection.d.ts
index e5d1a7c6..413795dc 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnection.d.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnection.d.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import {
   Account,
   AccountQuery,
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@ import {
   UnsignedTransaction,
 } from "@iov/bcp";
 import { Stream } from "xstream";
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix } from "./address";
 import { TokenInfo } from "./types";
 export declare type TokenConfiguration = ReadonlyArray<
   TokenInfo & {
@@ -30,17 +30,16 @@ export declare type TokenConfiguration = ReadonlyArray<
 export declare class CosmWasmConnection implements BlockchainConnection {
   static establish(
     url: string,
-    prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix,
+    addressPrefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix,
     tokens: TokenConfiguration,
   ): Promise<CosmWasmConnection>;
   private static initialize;
   private readonly restClient;
   private readonly chainData;
-  private readonly _prefix;
+  private readonly addressPrefix;
   private readonly tokenInfo;
   private readonly primaryToken;
   private readonly supportedTokens;
-  private get prefix();
   private constructor();
   disconnect(): void;
   chainId(): ChainId;
diff --git a/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnector.d.ts b/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnector.d.ts
index d9ed98cd..fbebceea 100644
--- a/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnector.d.ts
+++ b/packages/bcp/types/cosmwasmconnector.d.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
+import { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix } from "@cosmwasm/sdk";
 import { ChainConnector, ChainId } from "@iov/bcp";
-import { CosmosBech32Prefix } from "./address";
 import { CosmWasmConnection, TokenConfiguration } from "./cosmwasmconnection";
 /**
  * A helper to connect to a cosmos-based chain at a given url
  */
 export declare function createCosmWasmConnector(
   url: string,
-  prefix: CosmosBech32Prefix,
+  addressPrefix: CosmosAddressBech32Prefix,
   tokens: TokenConfiguration,
   expectedChainId?: ChainId,
 ): ChainConnector<CosmWasmConnection>;
diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/address.ts b/packages/sdk/src/address.ts
index 85df61c5..cb6b5eb7 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/address.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/address.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ const { fromBase64 } = Encoding;
 // TODO: make this much more configurable
 export type CosmosAddressBech32Prefix = "cosmos" | "cosmosvalcons" | "cosmosvaloper";
 export type CosmosPubkeyBech32Prefix = "cosmospub" | "cosmosvalconspub" | "cosmosvaloperpub";
-export type CosmosBech32Prefix = CosmosAddressBech32Prefix | CosmosPubkeyBech32Prefix;
 
 function isCosmosAddressBech32Prefix(prefix: string): prefix is CosmosAddressBech32Prefix {
   return ["cosmos", "cosmosvalcons", "cosmosvaloper"].includes(prefix);
diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/index.ts b/packages/sdk/src/index.ts
index 36d24cbf..b678ce20 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/index.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import * as logs from "./logs";
 import * as types from "./types";
 export { logs, types };
 
-export { CosmosBech32Prefix, encodeAddress, isValidAddress } from "./address";
+export { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix, encodeAddress, isValidAddress } from "./address";
 export { unmarshalTx } from "./decoding";
 export { encodeSecp256k1Signature, makeSignBytes, marshalTx } from "./encoding";
 export { RestClient, TxsResponse } from "./restclient";
diff --git a/packages/sdk/types/address.d.ts b/packages/sdk/types/address.d.ts
index 3390fc29..2d282875 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/types/address.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/types/address.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { PubKey } from "./types";
 export declare type CosmosAddressBech32Prefix = "cosmos" | "cosmosvalcons" | "cosmosvaloper";
 export declare type CosmosPubkeyBech32Prefix = "cosmospub" | "cosmosvalconspub" | "cosmosvaloperpub";
-export declare type CosmosBech32Prefix = CosmosAddressBech32Prefix | CosmosPubkeyBech32Prefix;
 export declare function isValidAddress(address: string): boolean;
 export declare function encodeAddress(pubkey: PubKey, prefix: string): string;
diff --git a/packages/sdk/types/index.d.ts b/packages/sdk/types/index.d.ts
index 3c8bdaab..e2733189 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/types/index.d.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as logs from "./logs";
 import * as types from "./types";
 export { logs, types };
-export { CosmosBech32Prefix, encodeAddress, isValidAddress } from "./address";
+export { CosmosAddressBech32Prefix, encodeAddress, isValidAddress } from "./address";
 export { unmarshalTx } from "./decoding";
 export { encodeSecp256k1Signature, makeSignBytes, marshalTx } from "./encoding";
 export { RestClient, TxsResponse } from "./restclient";