diff --git a/keys.go b/keys.go
index a070246..bb2171a 100644
--- a/keys.go
+++ b/keys.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ func GetPublicKey(sk string) (string, error) {
 	return hex.EncodeToString(schnorr.SerializePubKey(pk)), nil
 }
 
+// Deprecated: use IsValid32ByteHex instead -- functionality unchanged.
 func IsValidPublicKeyHex(pk string) bool {
 	if strings.ToLower(pk) != pk {
 		return false
@@ -46,3 +47,9 @@ func IsValidPublicKeyHex(pk string) bool {
 	dec, _ := hex.DecodeString(pk)
 	return len(dec) == 32
 }
+
+func IsValidPublicKey(pk string) bool {
+	v, _ := hex.DecodeString(pk)
+	_, err := btcec.ParsePubKey(v)
+	return len(v) == 32 && err == nil
+}
diff --git a/utils.go b/utils.go
index 874ced0..3d3b6ad 100644
--- a/utils.go
+++ b/utils.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package nostr
 
 import (
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -18,3 +19,14 @@ func IsValidRelayURL(u string) bool {
 	}
 	return true
 }
+
+func IsValid32ByteHex(thing string) bool {
+	if strings.ToLower(thing) != thing {
+		return false
+	}
+	if len(thing) != 64 {
+		return false
+	}
+	_, err := hex.DecodeString(thing)
+	return err == nil
+}