diff --git a/types/validator_set.go b/types/validator_set.go
index 4338ec6ad6..4ccd28d7c7 100644
--- a/types/validator_set.go
+++ b/types/validator_set.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func init() {
 type Validator = abci.Validator
 
 type ValidatorSetKeeper interface {
-	GetValidators(Context) []*Validator
+	Validators(Context) []*Validator
 	Size(Context) int
 	IsValidator(Context, Address) bool
 	GetByAddress(Context, Address) (int, *Validator)
diff --git a/x/stake/keeper.go b/x/stake/keeper.go
index f453e42c60..8f416c1a54 100644
--- a/x/stake/keeper.go
+++ b/x/stake/keeper.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func (k Keeper) setCandidate(ctx sdk.Context, candidate Candidate) {
 		setAcc = true
 	}
 	if setAcc {
-		bz, err = k.cdc.MarshalBinary(validator.ABCIValidator(k.cdc))
+		bz, err = k.cdc.MarshalBinary(validator.abciValidator(k.cdc))
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func (k Keeper) removeCandidate(ctx sdk.Context, address sdk.Address) {
 	if store.Get(GetRecentValidatorKey(address)) == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	bz, err := k.cdc.MarshalBinary(candidate.validator().ABCIValidatorZero(k.cdc))
+	bz, err := k.cdc.MarshalBinary(candidate.validator().abciValidatorZero(k.cdc))
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func (k Keeper) removeCandidate(ctx sdk.Context, address sdk.Address) {
 // records are updated in store with the RecentValidatorsKey. This store is
 // used to determine if a candidate is a validator without needing to iterate
 // over the subspace as we do in GetValidators
-func (k Keeper) GetValidators(ctx sdk.Context) (validators []sdk.Validator) {
+func (k Keeper) GetValidators(ctx sdk.Context) (validators []Validator) {
 	store := ctx.KVStore(k.storeKey)
 
 	// clear the recent validators store, add to the ToKickOut Temp store
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func (k Keeper) GetValidators(ctx sdk.Context) (validators []sdk.Validator) {
 	// add the actual validator power sorted store
 	maxValidators := k.GetParams(ctx).MaxValidators
 	iterator = store.ReverseIterator(subspace(ValidatorsKey)) // largest to smallest
-	validators = make([]sdk.Validator, maxValidators)
+	validators = make([]Validator, maxValidators)
 	i := 0
 	for ; ; i++ {
 		if !iterator.Valid() || i > int(maxValidators-1) {
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func (k Keeper) GetValidators(ctx sdk.Context) (validators []sdk.Validator) {
 			break
 		}
 		bz := iterator.Value()
-		var validator sdk.Validator
+		var validator Validator
 		err := k.cdc.UnmarshalBinary(bz, &validator)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
@@ -265,12 +265,12 @@ func (k Keeper) GetValidators(ctx sdk.Context) (validators []sdk.Validator) {
 
 		// get the zero abci validator from the ToKickOut iterator value
 		bz := iterator.Value()
-		var validator sdk.Validator
+		var validator Validator
 		err := k.cdc.UnmarshalBinary(bz, &validator)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
-		bz, err = k.cdc.MarshalBinary(validator.ABCIValidatorZero(k.cdc))
+		bz, err = k.cdc.MarshalBinary(validator.abciValidatorZero(k.cdc))
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ func (k Keeper) isNewValidator(ctx sdk.Context, store sdk.KVStore, address sdk.A
 			break
 		}
 		bz := iterator.Value()
-		var val sdk.Validator
+		var val Validator
 		err := k.cdc.UnmarshalBinary(bz, &val)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
@@ -496,7 +496,21 @@ func (k Keeper) setPool(ctx sdk.Context, p Pool) {
 
 //__________________________________________________________________________
 
-// Implements sdk.ValidatorSetKeeper
+// Implements ValidatorSetKeeper
+
+var _ sdk.ValidatorSetKeeper = Keeper{}
+
+func (k Keeper) Validators(ctx sdk.Context) []*sdk.Validator {
+	vals := k.GetValidators(ctx)
+	res := make([]*sdk.Validator, len(vals))
+
+	for i, val := range vals {
+		abcival := val.abciValidator(k.cdc)
+		res[i] = &abcival
+	}
+
+	return res
+}
 
 func (k Keeper) Size(ctx sdk.Context) int {
 	return len(k.GetValidators(ctx))
diff --git a/x/stake/keeper_test.go b/x/stake/keeper_test.go
index fa76fa15c2..76e69de58f 100644
--- a/x/stake/keeper_test.go
+++ b/x/stake/keeper_test.go
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ func TestGetAccUpdateValidators(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, candidates[0].Assets.Equal(sdk.NewRat(600)))
 	acc = keeper.getAccUpdateValidators(ctx)
 	require.Equal(t, 1, len(acc))
-	assert.Equal(t, candidates[0].validator().ABCIValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, candidates[0].validator().abciValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
 
 	// test multiple value change
 	//  candidate set: {c1, c3} -> {c1', c3'}
@@ -492,8 +492,8 @@ func TestGetAccUpdateValidators(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 2, len(acc))
 	candidates = keeper.GetCandidates(ctx, 5)
 	require.Equal(t, 2, len(candidates))
-	require.Equal(t, candidates[0].validator().ABCIValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
-	require.Equal(t, candidates[1].validator().ABCIValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[1])
+	require.Equal(t, candidates[0].validator().abciValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
+	require.Equal(t, candidates[1].validator().abciValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[1])
 
 	// test validtor added at the beginning
 	//  candidate set: {c1, c3} -> {c0, c1, c3}
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ func TestGetAccUpdateValidators(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 1, len(acc))
 	candidates = keeper.GetCandidates(ctx, 5)
 	require.Equal(t, 3, len(candidates))
-	assert.Equal(t, candidates[0].validator().ABCIValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, candidates[0].validator().abciValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
 
 	// test validator added at the middle
 	//  candidate set: {c0, c1, c3} -> {c0, c1, c2, c3]
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ func TestGetAccUpdateValidators(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 1, len(acc))
 	candidates = keeper.GetCandidates(ctx, 5)
 	require.Equal(t, 4, len(candidates))
-	assert.Equal(t, candidates[2].validator().ABCIValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, candidates[2].validator().abciValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[0])
 
 	// test candidate added at the end but not inserted in the valset
 	//  candidate set: {c0, c1, c2, c3} -> {c0, c1, c2, c3, c4}
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ func TestGetAccUpdateValidators(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, candidatesIn[0].PubKey.Bytes(), acc[0].PubKey)
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), acc[0].Power)
-	assert.Equal(t, vals[0].ABCIValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[1])
+	assert.Equal(t, vals[0].abciValidator(keeper.cdc), acc[1])
 
 	// test from something to nothing
 	//  candidate set: {c0, c1, c2, c3, c4} -> {}
@@ -732,50 +732,3 @@ func TestValidatorsetKeeper(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, total, keeper.TotalPower(ctx).Evaluate())
 }
-
-func TestValidatorsetKeeper(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, _, keeper := createTestInput(t, false, 0)
-
-	total := int64(0)
-	amts := []int64{9, 8, 7}
-	var candidates [3]Candidate
-	for i, amt := range amts {
-		candidates[i] = Candidate{
-			Address:     addrVals[i],
-			PubKey:      pks[i],
-			Assets:      sdk.NewRat(amt),
-			Liabilities: sdk.NewRat(amt),
-		}
-
-		keeper.setCandidate(ctx, candidates[i])
-
-		total += amt
-	}
-
-	assert.Equal(t, 3, keeper.Size(ctx))
-
-	for _, addr := range addrVals[:3] {
-		assert.True(t, keeper.IsValidator(ctx, addr))
-	}
-	for _, addr := range addrVals[3:] {
-		assert.False(t, keeper.IsValidator(ctx, addr))
-	}
-
-	for i, addr := range addrVals[:3] {
-		index, val := keeper.GetByAddress(ctx, addr)
-		assert.Equal(t, i, index)
-		assert.Equal(t, candidates[i].validator(), *val)
-	}
-
-	for _, addr := range addrVals[3:] {
-		index, val := keeper.GetByAddress(ctx, addr)
-		assert.Equal(t, -1, index)
-		assert.Nil(t, val)
-	}
-
-	for i, can := range candidates {
-		assert.Equal(t, can.validator(), *keeper.GetByIndex(ctx, i))
-	}
-
-	assert.Equal(t, total, keeper.TotalPower(ctx).Evaluate())
-}
diff --git a/x/stake/types.go b/x/stake/types.go
index e7668a14f3..ffe2ca4fb4 100644
--- a/x/stake/types.go
+++ b/x/stake/types.go
@@ -134,8 +134,8 @@ func (c Candidate) delegatorShareExRate() sdk.Rat {
 
 // Validator returns a copy of the Candidate as a Validator.
 // Should only be called when the Candidate qualifies as a validator.
-func (c Candidate) validator() sdk.Validator {
-	return sdk.Validator{
+func (c Candidate) validator() Validator {
+	return Validator{
 		Address: c.Address,
 		PubKey:  c.PubKey,
 		Power:   c.Assets,