diff --git a/pkg/crypto/hash/merkle_tree.go b/pkg/crypto/hash/merkle_tree.go
index 6e980d0b1..9d6642efa 100644
--- a/pkg/crypto/hash/merkle_tree.go
+++ b/pkg/crypto/hash/merkle_tree.go
@@ -25,13 +25,8 @@ func NewMerkleTree(hashes []util.Uint256) (*MerkleTree, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	root, err := buildMerkleTree(nodes)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	return &MerkleTree{
-		root:  root,
+		root:  buildMerkleTree(nodes),
 		depth: 1,
 	}, nil
 }
@@ -41,12 +36,12 @@ func (t *MerkleTree) Root() util.Uint256 {
 	return t.root.hash
 }
 
-func buildMerkleTree(leaves []*MerkleTreeNode) (*MerkleTreeNode, error) {
+func buildMerkleTree(leaves []*MerkleTreeNode) *MerkleTreeNode {
 	if len(leaves) == 0 {
-		return nil, errors.New("length of the leaves cannot be zero")
+		panic("length of leaves cannot be zero")
 	}
 	if len(leaves) == 1 {
-		return leaves[0], nil
+		return leaves[0]
 	}
 
 	parents := make([]*MerkleTreeNode, (len(leaves)+1)/2)