diff --git a/eth2/utils/bls/Cargo.toml b/eth2/utils/bls/Cargo.toml
index 7a436307b..5ac38595a 100644
--- a/eth2/utils/bls/Cargo.toml
+++ b/eth2/utils/bls/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,4 +9,5 @@ bls-aggregates = { git = "https://github.com/sigp/signature-schemes", tag = "0.5
 hashing = { path = "../hashing" }
 hex = "0.3"
 serde = "1.0"
+serde_derive = "1.0"
 ssz = { path = "../ssz" }
diff --git a/eth2/utils/bls/src/keypair.rs b/eth2/utils/bls/src/keypair.rs
index 1cce9c10e..d60a2fc25 100644
--- a/eth2/utils/bls/src/keypair.rs
+++ b/eth2/utils/bls/src/keypair.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use super::{PublicKey, SecretKey};
+use serde_derive::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Keypair {
     pub sk: SecretKey,
     pub pk: PublicKey,
diff --git a/eth2/utils/bls/src/lib.rs b/eth2/utils/bls/src/lib.rs
index bb109b0a1..8b3f8b2ba 100644
--- a/eth2/utils/bls/src/lib.rs
+++ b/eth2/utils/bls/src/lib.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ mod aggregate_signature;
 mod keypair;
 mod public_key;
 mod secret_key;
+mod serde_vistors;
 mod signature;
 
 pub use crate::aggregate_public_key::AggregatePublicKey;
diff --git a/eth2/utils/bls/src/public_key.rs b/eth2/utils/bls/src/public_key.rs
index c7fd526a0..3ab2b60bb 100644
--- a/eth2/utils/bls/src/public_key.rs
+++ b/eth2/utils/bls/src/public_key.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+use super::serde_vistors::HexVisitor;
 use super::SecretKey;
 use bls_aggregates::PublicKey as RawPublicKey;
 use hex::encode as hex_encode;
+use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
 use ssz::{
     decode_ssz_list, hash, ssz_encode, Decodable, DecodeError, Encodable, SszStream, TreeHash,
@@ -61,7 +63,19 @@ impl Serialize for PublicKey {
     where
         S: Serializer,
     {
-        serializer.serialize_bytes(&ssz_encode(self))
+        serializer.serialize_str(&hex_encode(ssz_encode(self)))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for PublicKey {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        let bytes = deserializer.deserialize_str(HexVisitor)?;
+        let (pubkey, _) = <_>::ssz_decode(&bytes[..], 0)
+            .map_err(|e| serde::de::Error::custom(format!("invalid ssz ({:?})", e)))?;
+        Ok(pubkey)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/eth2/utils/bls/src/secret_key.rs b/eth2/utils/bls/src/secret_key.rs
index f2d54f4ac..06c968389 100644
--- a/eth2/utils/bls/src/secret_key.rs
+++ b/eth2/utils/bls/src/secret_key.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+use super::serde_vistors::HexVisitor;
 use bls_aggregates::{DecodeError as BlsDecodeError, SecretKey as RawSecretKey};
-use ssz::{decode_ssz_list, Decodable, DecodeError, Encodable, SszStream, TreeHash};
+use hex::encode as hex_encode;
+use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
+use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
+use ssz::{decode_ssz_list, ssz_encode, Decodable, DecodeError, Encodable, SszStream, TreeHash};
 
 /// A single BLS signature.
 ///
@@ -40,6 +44,27 @@ impl Decodable for SecretKey {
     }
 }
 
+impl Serialize for SecretKey {
+    fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
+    where
+        S: Serializer,
+    {
+        serializer.serialize_str(&hex_encode(ssz_encode(self)))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for SecretKey {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        let bytes = deserializer.deserialize_str(HexVisitor)?;
+        let (pubkey, _) = <_>::ssz_decode(&bytes[..], 0)
+            .map_err(|e| serde::de::Error::custom(format!("invalid ssz ({:?})", e)))?;
+        Ok(pubkey)
+    }
+}
+
 impl TreeHash for SecretKey {
     fn hash_tree_root_internal(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
         self.0.as_bytes().clone()
diff --git a/eth2/utils/bls/src/signature.rs b/eth2/utils/bls/src/signature.rs
index c0c31ef27..86c54cba7 100644
--- a/eth2/utils/bls/src/signature.rs
+++ b/eth2/utils/bls/src/signature.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+use super::serde_vistors::HexVisitor;
 use super::{PublicKey, SecretKey};
 use bls_aggregates::Signature as RawSignature;
+use hex::encode as hex_encode;
+use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
 use ssz::{
     decode_ssz_list, hash, ssz_encode, Decodable, DecodeError, Encodable, SszStream, TreeHash,
@@ -83,7 +86,19 @@ impl Serialize for Signature {
     where
         S: Serializer,
     {
-        serializer.serialize_bytes(&ssz_encode(self))
+        serializer.serialize_str(&hex_encode(ssz_encode(self)))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Signature {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        let bytes = deserializer.deserialize_str(HexVisitor)?;
+        let (pubkey, _) = <_>::ssz_decode(&bytes[..], 0)
+            .map_err(|e| serde::de::Error::custom(format!("invalid ssz ({:?})", e)))?;
+        Ok(pubkey)
     }
 }