diff --git a/pkg/consensus/block.go b/pkg/consensus/block.go
index cabb0c684..87a4fae35 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/block.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/block.go
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ var _ dbft.Block[util.Uint256] = (*neoBlock)(nil)
 
 // Sign implements the block.Block interface.
 func (n *neoBlock) Sign(key dbft.PrivateKey) error {
-	k := key.(*privateKey)
-	sig := k.PrivateKey.SignHashable(uint32(n.network), &n.Block)
+	k := key.(*keys.PrivateKey)
+	sig := k.SignHashable(uint32(n.network), &n.Block)
 	n.signature = sig
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/block_test.go b/pkg/consensus/block_test.go
index 67a9e2488..1bfeb6cef 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/block_test.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/block_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func TestNeoBlock_Sign(t *testing.T) {
 	b := new(neoBlock)
 	priv, _ := keys.NewPrivateKey()
 
-	require.NoError(t, b.Sign(&privateKey{PrivateKey: priv}))
+	require.NoError(t, b.Sign(priv))
 	require.NoError(t, b.Verify(priv.PublicKey(), b.Signature()))
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
index d4763d157..5f251c8ed 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ func (s *service) getKeyPair(pubs []dbft.PublicKey) (int, dbft.PrivateKey, dbft.
 				}
 			}
 
-			return i, &privateKey{PrivateKey: acc.PrivateKey()}, acc.PublicKey()
+			return i, acc.PrivateKey(), acc.PublicKey()
 		}
 	}
 	return -1, nil, nil
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ func (s *service) OnTransaction(tx *transaction.Transaction) {
 }
 
 func (s *service) broadcast(p dbft.ConsensusPayload[util.Uint256]) {
-	if err := p.(*Payload).Sign(s.dbft.Priv.(*privateKey)); err != nil {
+	if err := p.(*Payload).Sign(s.dbft.Priv.(*keys.PrivateKey)); err != nil {
 		s.log.Warn("can't sign consensus payload", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go b/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go
index 3ec43501a..c7066aaca 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/consensus_test.go
@@ -532,9 +532,9 @@ func (bq testBlockQueuer) PutBlock(b *coreb.Block) error {
 	return bq.bc.AddBlock(b)
 }
 
-func getTestValidator(i int) (*privateKey, *keys.PublicKey) {
+func getTestValidator(i int) (*keys.PrivateKey, *keys.PublicKey) {
 	key := testchain.PrivateKey(i)
-	return &privateKey{PrivateKey: key}, key.PublicKey()
+	return key, key.PublicKey()
 }
 
 func newSingleTestChain(t *testing.T) *core.Blockchain {
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/crypto.go b/pkg/consensus/crypto.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 647282426..000000000
--- a/pkg/consensus/crypto.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-package consensus
-
-import (
-	"github.com/nspcc-dev/dbft"
-	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/crypto/keys"
-)
-
-// privateKey is a wrapper around keys.PrivateKey
-// which implements the crypto.PrivateKey interface.
-type privateKey struct {
-	*keys.PrivateKey
-}
-
-var _ dbft.PrivateKey = &privateKey{}
-
-// Sign implements the dbft's crypto.PrivateKey interface.
-func (p *privateKey) Sign(data []byte) ([]byte, error) {
-	return p.PrivateKey.Sign(data), nil
-}
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/crypto_test.go b/pkg/consensus/crypto_test.go
index 8ba0b9c95..bbcb6b728 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/crypto_test.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/crypto_test.go
@@ -9,18 +9,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestCrypt(t *testing.T) {
-	key, err := keys.NewPrivateKey()
+	priv, err := keys.NewPrivateKey()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	priv := privateKey{key}
-
-	pub := key.PublicKey()
+	pub := priv.PublicKey()
 
 	data := []byte{1, 2, 3, 4}
 	hash := sha256.Sum256(data)
 
-	sign, err := priv.Sign(data)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	sign := priv.Sign(data)
 	require.True(t, pub.Verify(sign, hash[:]))
 
 	sign[0] = ^sign[0]
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/payload.go b/pkg/consensus/payload.go
index 4f2ba0671..8c0784fcd 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/payload.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/payload.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/dbft"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/config/netmode"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/crypto/keys"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/io"
 	npayload "github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/network/payload"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/util"
@@ -119,9 +120,9 @@ func (p *Payload) EncodeBinary(w *io.BinWriter) {
 
 // Sign signs payload using the private key.
 // It also sets corresponding verification and invocation scripts.
-func (p *Payload) Sign(key *privateKey) error {
+func (p *Payload) Sign(key *keys.PrivateKey) error {
 	p.encodeData()
-	sig := key.PrivateKey.SignHashable(uint32(p.network), &p.Extensible)
+	sig := key.SignHashable(uint32(p.network), &p.Extensible)
 
 	buf := io.NewBufBinWriter()
 	emit.Bytes(buf.BinWriter, sig)
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/payload_test.go b/pkg/consensus/payload_test.go
index cf6e761ff..e4c34c68d 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/payload_test.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/payload_test.go
@@ -249,11 +249,9 @@ func randomRecoveryMessage(t *testing.T) *recoveryMessage {
 }
 
 func TestPayload_Sign(t *testing.T) {
-	key, err := keys.NewPrivateKey()
+	priv, err := keys.NewPrivateKey()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	priv := &privateKey{key}
-
 	p := randomPayload(t, prepareRequestType)
 	h := priv.PublicKey().GetScriptHash()
 	bc := newTestChain(t, false)
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/recovery_message_test.go b/pkg/consensus/recovery_message_test.go
index 58a1ac22a..2c7737c7c 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/recovery_message_test.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/recovery_message_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/dbft"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/internal/testchain"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/config/netmode"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/crypto/keys"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ func TestRecoveryMessageSetters(t *testing.T) {
 
 func testRecoveryMessageSetters(t *testing.T, enableStateRoot bool) {
 	srv := newTestServiceWithState(t, enableStateRoot)
-	privs := make([]*privateKey, testchain.Size())
+	privs := make([]*keys.PrivateKey, testchain.Size())
 	pubs := make([]dbft.PublicKey, testchain.Size())
 	for i := range testchain.Size() {
 		privs[i], pubs[i] = getTestValidator(i)