diff --git a/base58.go b/base58.go
index fda5204..c4977ce 100644
--- a/base58.go
+++ b/base58.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func encodeChunkTail(raw []byte, buf []byte) []byte {
 	return buf
 }
 
-func decodeChunk(buf []byte, encoded string) []byte {
+func decodeChunk(buf []byte, encoded []byte) []byte {
 	var intResult uint64
 	currentMultiplier := uint64(1)
 	for i := len(encoded) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
@@ -94,32 +94,41 @@ func decodeChunk(buf []byte, encoded string) []byte {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func Encode(data ...[]byte) string {
+func EncodeMoneroBase58(data ...[]byte) []byte {
+	return EncodeMoneroBase58PreAllocated(make([]byte, 0, func() (result int) {
+		for _, v := range data {
+			result += len(v)
+		}
+		return
+	}()), data...)
+}
+
+func EncodeMoneroBase58PreAllocated(buf []byte, data ...[]byte) []byte {
 	//preallocate common case
 	combined := make([]byte, 0, 96)
 	for _, item := range data {
 		combined = append(combined, item...)
 	}
 
-	result := make([]byte, 0, len(combined)*2)
-	buf := make([]byte, 0, len(combined)*2)
+	result := buf
+	tmpBuf := make([]byte, 0, len(combined)*2)
 	length := len(combined)
 	rounds := length / 8
 	for i := 0; i < rounds; i++ {
-		result = append(result, encodeChunk(combined[i*8:(i+1)*8], buf[:0])...)
+		result = append(result, encodeChunk(combined[i*8:(i+1)*8], tmpBuf[:0])...)
 	}
 	if length%8 > 0 {
-		result = append(result, encodeChunkTail(combined[rounds*8:], buf[:0])...)
+		result = append(result, encodeChunkTail(combined[rounds*8:], tmpBuf[:0])...)
 	}
-	return string(result)
+	return result
 }
 
-func Decode(data string) (result []byte) {
+func DecodeMoneroBase58(data []byte) (result []byte) {
 	//common case
-	return DecodePreAllocated(make([]byte, 0, 69), data)
+	return DecodeMoneroBase58PreAllocated(make([]byte, 0, 69), data)
 }
 
-func DecodePreAllocated(buf []byte, data string) (result []byte) {
+func DecodeMoneroBase58PreAllocated(buf []byte, data []byte) (result []byte) {
 	result = buf
 	length := len(data)
 	rounds := length / 11