diff --git a/src/cosmoscodec.ts b/src/cosmoscodec.ts
index b5497f01..9e122a8f 100644
--- a/src/cosmoscodec.ts
+++ b/src/cosmoscodec.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export class CosmosCodec implements TxCodec {
   public bytesToSign(unsigned: UnsignedTransaction, nonce: Nonce): SigningJob {
     const accountNumber = 0;
     const memo = (unsigned as any).memo;
-    const built = buildUnsignedTx(unsigned);
+    const built = buildUnsignedTx(unsigned, this.tokens);
 
     const signMsg = sortJson({
       account_number: accountNumber.toString(),
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export class CosmosCodec implements TxCodec {
   }
 
   public bytesToPost(signed: SignedTransaction): PostableBytes {
-    const built = buildSignedTx(signed);
+    const built = buildSignedTx(signed, this.tokens);
     const bytes = marshalTx(built, true);
     return bytes as PostableBytes;
   }
diff --git a/src/cosmosconnection.spec.ts b/src/cosmosconnection.spec.ts
index e11ea319..0e5aa64a 100644
--- a/src/cosmosconnection.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cosmosconnection.spec.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { Secp256k1 } from "@iov/crypto";
 import { Encoding } from "@iov/encoding";
 import { HdPaths, Secp256k1HdWallet, UserProfile } from "@iov/keycontrol";
 
-import { cosmosCodec } from "./cosmoscodec";
+import { cosmosCodec, CosmosCodec } from "./cosmoscodec";
 import { CosmosConnection } from "./cosmosconnection";
 import { CosmosBech32Prefix } from "./address";
 import { TokenInfos } from "./types";
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ function pendingWithoutCosmos(): void {
 }
 
 describe("CosmosConnection", () => {
-  const atom = "ATOM" as TokenTicker;
+  const cosm = "COSM" as TokenTicker;
   const httpUrl = "http://localhost:1317";
   const defaultChainId = "cosmos:testing" as ChainId;
   const defaultEmptyAddress = "cosmos1h806c7khnvmjlywdrkdgk2vrayy2mmvf9rxk2r" as Address;
@@ -191,13 +191,17 @@ describe("CosmosConnection", () => {
         amount: {
           quantity: "75000",
           fractionalDigits: 6,
-          tokenTicker: atom,
+          tokenTicker: cosm,
         },
       });
       const nonce = await connection.getNonce({ address: faucetAddress });
-      const signed = await profile.signTransaction(faucet, unsigned, cosmosCodec, nonce);
-      const postableBytes = cosmosCodec.bytesToPost(signed);
+      // TODO: we need to use custom codecs everywhere
+      const codec = new CosmosCodec(defaultPrefix, defaultTokens);
+      console.log("nonce:", nonce);
+      const signed = await profile.signTransaction(faucet, unsigned, codec, nonce);
+      const postableBytes = codec.bytesToPost(signed);
       const response = await connection.postTx(postableBytes);
+      console.log(response);
       const { transactionId } = response;
       const blockInfo = await response.blockInfo.waitFor(info => !isBlockInfoPending(info));
       expect(blockInfo.state).toEqual(TransactionState.Succeeded);
@@ -250,13 +254,16 @@ describe("CosmosConnection", () => {
         amount: {
           quantity: "75000",
           fractionalDigits: 6,
-          tokenTicker: atom,
+          tokenTicker: cosm,
         },
       });
       const nonce = await connection.getNonce({ address: faucetAddress });
-      const signed = await profile.signTransaction(faucet, unsigned, cosmosCodec, nonce);
-      const postableBytes = cosmosCodec.bytesToPost(signed);
+      // TODO: we need to use custom codecs everywhere
+      const codec = new CosmosCodec(defaultPrefix, defaultTokens);
+      const signed = await profile.signTransaction(faucet, unsigned, codec, nonce);
+      const postableBytes = codec.bytesToPost(signed);
       const response = await connection.postTx(postableBytes);
+      console.log(response);
       const { transactionId } = response;
       const blockInfo = await response.blockInfo.waitFor(info => !isBlockInfoPending(info));
       expect(blockInfo.state).toEqual(TransactionState.Succeeded);
diff --git a/src/cosmosconnection.ts b/src/cosmosconnection.ts
index aec3825b..76f67f45 100644
--- a/src/cosmosconnection.ts
+++ b/src/cosmosconnection.ts
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ export class CosmosConnection implements BlockchainConnection {
   }
 
   public async postTx(tx: PostableBytes): Promise<PostTxResponse> {
+    // TODO: we need to check errors here... bad chain-id breaks this
     const { txhash, raw_log } = await this.restClient.postTx(tx);
     const transactionId = txhash as TransactionId;
     const firstEvent: BlockInfo = { state: TransactionState.Pending };
diff --git a/src/decode.spec.ts b/src/decode.spec.ts
index 8ca2e5f1..64fe28f4 100644
--- a/src/decode.spec.ts
+++ b/src/decode.spec.ts
@@ -19,15 +19,6 @@ import { TokenInfos } from "./types";
 
 const { fromBase64 } = Encoding;
 
-const defaultTokens: TokenInfos = [
-  {
-    fractionalDigits: 6,
-    tokenName: "Atom (Cosmos Hub)",
-    tokenTicker: "ATOM" as TokenTicker,
-    denom: "uatom",
-  },
-];
-
 describe("decode", () => {
   const defaultPubkey = {
     algo: Algorithm.Secp256k1,
@@ -61,6 +52,14 @@ describe("decode", () => {
     },
     gasLimit: "200000",
   };
+  const defaultTokens: TokenInfos = [
+    {
+      fractionalDigits: 6,
+      tokenName: "Atom (Cosmos Hub)",
+      tokenTicker: "ATOM" as TokenTicker,
+      denom: "uatom",
+    },
+  ];
 
   describe("decodePubkey", () => {
     it("works", () => {
diff --git a/src/encode.spec.ts b/src/encode.spec.ts
index 4b4179e5..2eaaeb14 100644
--- a/src/encode.spec.ts
+++ b/src/encode.spec.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   encodeFullSignature,
   encodePubkey,
 } from "./encode";
+import { TokenInfos } from "./types";
 
 const { fromBase64 } = Encoding;
 
@@ -40,6 +41,14 @@ describe("encode", () => {
     tokenTicker: atom,
   };
   const defaultMemo = "hello cosmos hub";
+  const defaultTokens: TokenInfos = [
+    {
+      fractionalDigits: 6,
+      tokenName: "Atom (Cosmos Hub)",
+      tokenTicker: "ATOM" as TokenTicker,
+      denom: "uatom",
+    },
+  ];
 
   describe("encodePubKey", () => {
     it("encodes a Secp256k1 pubkey", () => {
@@ -52,7 +61,7 @@ describe("encode", () => {
 
   describe("encodeAmount", () => {
     it("encodes an amount", () => {
-      expect(encodeAmount(defaultAmount)).toEqual({
+      expect(encodeAmount(defaultAmount, defaultTokens)).toEqual({
         denom: "uatom",
         amount: "11657995",
       });
@@ -64,7 +73,7 @@ describe("encode", () => {
       const fee = {
         gasLimit: "200000",
       };
-      expect(() => encodeFee(fee)).toThrowError(/cannot encode fee without tokens/i);
+      expect(() => encodeFee(fee, defaultTokens)).toThrowError(/cannot encode fee without tokens/i);
     });
 
     it("throws without gas limit", () => {
@@ -75,7 +84,7 @@ describe("encode", () => {
           tokenTicker: atom,
         },
       };
-      expect(() => encodeFee(fee)).toThrowError(/cannot encode fee without gas limit/i);
+      expect(() => encodeFee(fee, defaultTokens)).toThrowError(/cannot encode fee without gas limit/i);
     });
 
     it("encodes a fee", () => {
@@ -87,7 +96,7 @@ describe("encode", () => {
         },
         gasLimit: "200000",
       };
-      expect(encodeFee(fee)).toEqual({
+      expect(encodeFee(fee, defaultTokens)).toEqual({
         amount: [{ denom: "uatom", amount: "5000" }],
         gas: "200000",
       });
@@ -168,7 +177,9 @@ describe("encode", () => {
         chainId: defaultChainId,
         escrowId: "defg",
       };
-      expect(() => buildUnsignedTx(tx)).toThrowError(/received transaction of unsupported kind/i);
+      expect(() => buildUnsignedTx(tx, defaultTokens)).toThrowError(
+        /received transaction of unsupported kind/i,
+      );
     });
 
     it("builds a send transaction without fee", () => {
@@ -180,7 +191,7 @@ describe("encode", () => {
         recipient: defaultRecipient,
         memo: defaultMemo,
       };
-      expect(buildUnsignedTx(tx)).toEqual({
+      expect(buildUnsignedTx(tx, defaultTokens)).toEqual({
         type: "cosmos-sdk/StdTx",
         value: {
           msg: [
@@ -225,7 +236,7 @@ describe("encode", () => {
           gasLimit: "200000",
         },
       };
-      expect(buildUnsignedTx(tx)).toEqual({
+      expect(buildUnsignedTx(tx, defaultTokens)).toEqual({
         type: "cosmos-sdk/StdTx",
         value: {
           msg: [
@@ -286,7 +297,7 @@ describe("encode", () => {
           },
         ],
       };
-      expect(buildSignedTx(tx)).toEqual({
+      expect(buildSignedTx(tx, defaultTokens)).toEqual({
         type: "cosmos-sdk/StdTx",
         value: {
           msg: [
diff --git a/src/encode.ts b/src/encode.ts
index 88ddb24d..1c098084 100644
--- a/src/encode.ts
+++ b/src/encode.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { Secp256k1 } from "@iov/crypto";
 import { Encoding } from "@iov/encoding";
 import amino from "@tendermint/amino-js";
 
-import { AminoTx } from "./types";
+import { AminoTx, TokenInfos, amountToCoin } from "./types";
 
 const { toBase64 } = Encoding;
 
@@ -34,17 +34,11 @@ export function encodePubkey(pubkey: PubkeyBundle): amino.PubKey {
   }
 }
 
-export function encodeAmount(amount: Amount): amino.Coin {
-  if (amount.tokenTicker !== "ATOM") {
-    throw new Error("Only ATOM amounts are supported");
-  }
-  return {
-    denom: "uatom",
-    amount: amount.quantity,
-  };
+export function encodeAmount(amount: Amount, tokens: TokenInfos): amino.Coin {
+  return amountToCoin(tokens, amount);
 }
 
-export function encodeFee(fee: Fee): amino.StdFee {
+export function encodeFee(fee: Fee, tokens: TokenInfos): amino.StdFee {
   if (fee.tokens === undefined) {
     throw new Error("Cannot encode fee without tokens");
   }
@@ -52,7 +46,7 @@ export function encodeFee(fee: Fee): amino.StdFee {
     throw new Error("Cannot encode fee without gas limit");
   }
   return {
-    amount: [encodeAmount(fee.tokens)],
+    amount: [encodeAmount(fee.tokens, tokens)],
     gas: fee.gasLimit,
   };
 }
@@ -68,7 +62,7 @@ export function encodeFullSignature(fullSignature: FullSignature): amino.StdSign
   };
 }
 
-export function buildUnsignedTx(tx: UnsignedTransaction): AminoTx {
+export function buildUnsignedTx(tx: UnsignedTransaction, tokens: TokenInfos): AminoTx {
   if (!isSendTransaction(tx)) {
     throw new Error("Received transaction of unsupported kind");
   }
@@ -81,14 +75,14 @@ export function buildUnsignedTx(tx: UnsignedTransaction): AminoTx {
           value: {
             from_address: tx.sender,
             to_address: tx.recipient,
-            amount: [encodeAmount(tx.amount)],
+            amount: [encodeAmount(tx.amount, tokens)],
           },
         },
       ],
       memo: tx.memo || "",
       signatures: [],
       fee: tx.fee
-        ? encodeFee(tx.fee)
+        ? encodeFee(tx.fee, tokens)
         : {
             amount: [],
             gas: "",
@@ -97,8 +91,8 @@ export function buildUnsignedTx(tx: UnsignedTransaction): AminoTx {
   };
 }
 
-export function buildSignedTx(tx: SignedTransaction): AminoTx {
-  const built = buildUnsignedTx(tx.transaction);
+export function buildSignedTx(tx: SignedTransaction, tokens: TokenInfos): AminoTx {
+  const built = buildUnsignedTx(tx.transaction, tokens);
   return {
     ...built,
     value: {