diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 85e23de..ee844c2 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 [package]
 name = "multikey"
-version = "0.8.7"
+version = "0.8.8"
 edition = "2021"
-authors = ["Dave Huseby <dwh@linuxprogrammer.org>"]
+authors = ["Dave Grantham <dwg@linuxprogrammer.org>"]
 description = "Multikey self-describing cryptographic key data"
 repository = "https://github.com/cryptidtech/multikey.git"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/src/mk.rs b/src/mk.rs
index 56501d6..bdb7a56 100644
--- a/src/mk.rs
+++ b/src/mk.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use crate::{
 
 use multibase::Base;
 use multicodec::Codec;
-use multitrait::TryDecodeFrom;
+use multitrait::{Null, TryDecodeFrom};
 use multiutil::{BaseEncoded, CodecInfo, EncodingInfo, Varbytes, Varuint};
 use rand::{CryptoRng, RngCore};
 use ssh_key::{
@@ -135,6 +135,16 @@ impl<'a> TryDecodeFrom<'a> for Multikey {
     }
 }
 
+impl Null for Multikey {
+    fn null() -> Self {
+        Self::default()
+    }
+
+    fn is_null(&self) -> bool {
+        *self == Self::null()
+    }
+}
+
 impl fmt::Debug for Multikey {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
         // get an attributes view on the key
@@ -854,6 +864,7 @@ impl Builder {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::{cipher, kdf, views};
+    use multisig::EncodedMultisig;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_ed25519_random() {
@@ -877,7 +888,7 @@ mod tests {
             .try_build_encoded()
             .unwrap();
         let s = mk.to_string();
-        //println!("ed25519: {}", s);
+        println!("ed25519: {}", s);
         assert_eq!(mk, EncodedMultikey::try_from(s.as_str()).unwrap());
     }
 
@@ -903,7 +914,7 @@ mod tests {
             .try_build_encoded()
             .unwrap();
         let s = mk.to_string();
-        //println!("secp256k1: {}", s);
+        println!("secp256k1: {}", s);
         assert_eq!(mk, EncodedMultikey::try_from(s.as_str()).unwrap());
     }
 
@@ -929,7 +940,7 @@ mod tests {
             .try_build_encoded()
             .unwrap();
         let s = mk.to_string();
-        //println!("bls12381g2: {}", s);
+        println!("bls12381g2: {}", s);
         assert_eq!(mk, EncodedMultikey::try_from(s.as_str()).unwrap());
     }
 
@@ -1141,12 +1152,16 @@ mod tests {
         let kd = mk.data_view().unwrap();
         assert!(kd.key_bytes().is_ok());
         assert!(kd.secret_bytes().is_ok());
+        let conv = mk.conv_view().unwrap();
+        let pk = EncodedMultikey::new(Base::Base16Lower, conv.to_public_key().unwrap());
+        println!("ed25519 pubkey: {}", pk.to_string());
 
-        let msg = hex::decode("8bb78be51ac7cc98f44e38947ff8a128764ec039b89687a790dfa8444ba97682")
-            .unwrap();
+        let msg = b"for great justice, move every zig!".to_vec();
 
         let signmk = mk.sign_view().unwrap();
         let signature = signmk.sign(msg.as_slice(), false, None).unwrap();
+        let sig = EncodedMultisig::new(Base::Base16Lower, signature.clone());
+        println!("signaure: {}", sig.to_string());
 
         let verifymk = mk.verify_view().unwrap();
         assert!(verifymk.verify(&signature, Some(&msg)).is_ok());
@@ -1566,4 +1581,13 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(kd.key_bytes().is_ok());
         assert!(kd.secret_bytes().is_ok());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_null() {
+        let mk1 = Multikey::null();
+        assert!(mk1.is_null());
+        let mk2 = Multikey::default();
+        assert_eq!(mk1, mk2);
+        assert!(mk2.is_null());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/nonce.rs b/src/nonce.rs
index 117eb03..d1962ad 100644
--- a/src/nonce.rs
+++ b/src/nonce.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::{error::NonceError, Error};
 use core::fmt;
 use multibase::Base;
 use multicodec::Codec;
-use multitrait::TryDecodeFrom;
+use multitrait::{Null, TryDecodeFrom};
 use multiutil::{BaseEncoded, CodecInfo, EncodingInfo, Varbytes};
 use rand::{CryptoRng, RngCore};
 
@@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ impl<'a> TryDecodeFrom<'a> for Nonce {
     }
 }
 
+impl Null for Nonce {
+    fn null() -> Self {
+        Self::default()
+    }
+
+    fn is_null(&self) -> bool {
+        *self == Self::null()
+    }
+}
+
 impl fmt::Debug for Nonce {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
         write!(f, "{:?} - {}", SIGIL, hex::encode(&self.nonce))
@@ -209,4 +219,13 @@ mod tests {
         let s = n.to_string();
         assert_eq!(n, EncodedNonce::try_from(s.as_str()).unwrap());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_null() {
+        let n1 = Nonce::null();
+        assert!(n1.is_null());
+        let n2 = Nonce::default();
+        assert_eq!(n1, n2);
+        assert!(n2.is_null());
+    }
 }