diff --git a/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/Secp256k1.kt b/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/Secp256k1.kt
index 9c8650db8..2b9c5e41e 100644
--- a/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/Secp256k1.kt
+++ b/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/Secp256k1.kt
@@ -138,7 +138,12 @@ object Secp256k1 {
                 dBytes
             }
 
-        val rand = sha256(NONCE_PREFIX + t + pBytes + data)
+        val nonceInput = ByteArray(64 + 32 + 32 + data.size)
+        NONCE_PREFIX.copyInto(nonceInput, 0)
+        t.copyInto(nonceInput, 64)
+        pBytes.copyInto(nonceInput, 96)
+        data.copyInto(nonceInput, 128)
+        val rand = sha256(nonceInput)
         val k0 = ScalarN.reduce(U256.fromBytes(rand))
         require(!U256.isZero(k0))
 
@@ -149,12 +154,18 @@ object Secp256k1 {
         check(ECPoint.toAffine(rPoint, rx, ry))
 
         val k = if (ECPoint.hasEvenY(ry)) k0 else ScalarN.neg(k0)
-        val rBytes = U256.toBytes(rx)
-        val eHash = sha256(CHALLENGE_PREFIX + rBytes + pBytes + data)
+        val chalInput = ByteArray(64 + 32 + 32 + data.size)
+        CHALLENGE_PREFIX.copyInto(chalInput, 0)
+        U256.toBytesInto(rx, chalInput, 64)
+        pBytes.copyInto(chalInput, 96)
+        data.copyInto(chalInput, 128)
+        val eHash = sha256(chalInput)
         val e = ScalarN.reduce(U256.fromBytes(eHash))
 
-        val s = ScalarN.add(k, ScalarN.mul(e, d))
-        val sig = rBytes + U256.toBytes(s)
+        val sScalar = ScalarN.add(k, ScalarN.mul(e, d))
+        val sig = ByteArray(64)
+        U256.toBytesInto(rx, sig, 0)
+        U256.toBytesInto(sScalar, sig, 32)
 
         require(verifySchnorr(sig, data, pBytes)) { "Signature self-verification failed" }
         return sig
@@ -186,12 +197,18 @@ object Secp256k1 {
         val py = IntArray(8)
         if (!ECPoint.liftX(px, py, U256.fromBytes(pub))) return false
 
-        val r = U256.fromBytes(signature.copyOfRange(0, 32))
+        val r = U256.fromBytes(signature, 0)
         if (U256.cmp(r, FieldP.P) >= 0) return false
-        val s = U256.fromBytes(signature.copyOfRange(32, 64))
+        val s = U256.fromBytes(signature, 32)
         if (U256.cmp(s, ScalarN.N) >= 0) return false
 
-        val eHash = sha256(CHALLENGE_PREFIX + signature.copyOfRange(0, 32) + pub + data)
+        // Build challenge hash input in a single array: prefix(64) + r(32) + pub(32) + data(N)
+        val hashInput = ByteArray(64 + 32 + 32 + data.size)
+        CHALLENGE_PREFIX.copyInto(hashInput, 0)
+        signature.copyInto(hashInput, 64, 0, 32) // r bytes from signature
+        pub.copyInto(hashInput, 96)
+        data.copyInto(hashInput, 128)
+        val eHash = sha256(hashInput)
         val e = ScalarN.reduce(U256.fromBytes(eHash))
 
         // R = s·G + (-e)·P via Shamir's trick
diff --git a/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/U256.kt b/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/U256.kt
index 5cdc12838..15f29f063 100644
--- a/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/U256.kt
+++ b/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/utils/secp256k1/U256.kt
@@ -216,11 +216,16 @@ internal object U256 {
     // ==================== Serialization ====================
 
     /** Decode a big-endian 32-byte array into little-endian IntArray(8). */
-    fun fromBytes(bytes: ByteArray): IntArray {
-        require(bytes.size == 32)
+    fun fromBytes(bytes: ByteArray): IntArray = fromBytes(bytes, 0)
+
+    /** Decode 32 big-endian bytes starting at [offset] into little-endian IntArray(8). */
+    fun fromBytes(
+        bytes: ByteArray,
+        offset: Int,
+    ): IntArray {
         val r = IntArray(8)
         for (i in 0 until 8) {
-            val o = 28 - i * 4
+            val o = offset + 28 - i * 4
             r[i] = ((bytes[o].toInt() and 0xFF) shl 24) or
                 ((bytes[o + 1].toInt() and 0xFF) shl 16) or
                 ((bytes[o + 2].toInt() and 0xFF) shl 8) or