diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0357e3f4..67965f4f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@
   "repository": "github:multiformats/js-multihash",
   "dependencies": {
     "buffer": "^5.6.0",
-    "multibase": "^1.0.1",
-    "varint": "^5.0.0"
+    "multibase": "^2.0.0",
+    "varint": "^5.0.0",
+    "web-encoding": "^1.0.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "aegir": "^24.0.0",
@@ -67,4 +68,4 @@
     "node": ">=10.0.0",
     "npm": ">=6.0.0"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 8accc704..a095597c 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+// @ts-check
 /* eslint-disable guard-for-in */
 /**
  * Multihash implementation in JavaScript.
@@ -10,7 +11,9 @@ const { Buffer } = require('buffer')
 const multibase = require('multibase')
 const varint = require('varint')
 const { names } = require('./constants')
+const { TextDecoder } = require('web-encoding')
 
+const textDecoder = new TextDecoder()
 const codes = {}
 
 for (const key in names) {
@@ -22,15 +25,19 @@ exports.codes = Object.freeze(codes)
 /**
  * Convert the given multihash to a hex encoded string.
  *
- * @param {Buffer} hash
+ * @param {Uint8Array} hash
  * @returns {string}
  */
 exports.toHexString = function toHexString (hash) {
-  if (!Buffer.isBuffer(hash)) {
-    throw new Error('must be passed a buffer')
+  if (!(hash instanceof Uint8Array)) {
+    throw new Error('must be passed a Uint8Array')
   }
 
-  return hash.toString('hex')
+  const buffer = Buffer.isBuffer(hash)
+    ? hash
+    : Buffer.from(hash.buffer, hash.byteOffset, hash.byteLength)
+
+  return buffer.toString('hex')
 }
 
 /**
@@ -46,28 +53,27 @@ exports.fromHexString = function fromHexString (hash) {
 /**
  * Convert the given multihash to a base58 encoded string.
  *
- * @param {Buffer} hash
+ * @param {Uint8Array} hash
  * @returns {string}
  */
 exports.toB58String = function toB58String (hash) {
-  if (!Buffer.isBuffer(hash)) {
-    throw new Error('must be passed a buffer')
+  if (!(hash instanceof Uint8Array)) {
+    throw new Error('must be passed a Uint8Array')
   }
 
-  return multibase.encode('base58btc', hash).toString().slice(1)
+  return textDecoder.decode(multibase.encode('base58btc', hash)).slice(1)
 }
 
 /**
  * Convert the given base58 encoded string to a multihash.
  *
- * @param {string|Buffer} hash
+ * @param {string|Uint8Array} hash
  * @returns {Buffer}
  */
 exports.fromB58String = function fromB58String (hash) {
-  let encoded = hash
-  if (Buffer.isBuffer(hash)) {
-    encoded = hash.toString()
-  }
+  const encoded = hash instanceof Uint8Array
+    ? textDecoder.decode(hash)
+    : hash
 
   return multibase.decode('z' + encoded)
 }
@@ -75,13 +81,16 @@ exports.fromB58String = function fromB58String (hash) {
 /**
  * Decode a hash from the given multihash.
  *
- * @param {Buffer} buf
+ * @param {Uint8Array} bytes
  * @returns {{code: number, name: string, length: number, digest: Buffer}} result
  */
-exports.decode = function decode (buf) {
-  if (!(Buffer.isBuffer(buf))) {
-    throw new Error('multihash must be a Buffer')
+exports.decode = function decode (bytes) {
+  if (!(bytes instanceof Uint8Array)) {
+    throw new Error('multihash must be a Uint8Array')
   }
+  let buf = Buffer.isBuffer(bytes)
+    ? bytes
+    : Buffer.from(bytes.buffer, bytes.byteOffset, bytes.byteLength)
 
   if (buf.length < 2) {
     throw new Error('multihash too short. must be > 2 bytes.')
@@ -116,7 +125,7 @@ exports.decode = function decode (buf) {
  *
  * > **Note:** the length is derived from the length of the digest itself.
  *
- * @param {Buffer} digest
+ * @param {Uint8Array} digest
  * @param {string|number} code
  * @param {number} [length]
  * @returns {Buffer}
@@ -129,8 +138,8 @@ exports.encode = function encode (digest, code, length) {
   // ensure it's a hashfunction code.
   const hashfn = exports.coerceCode(code)
 
-  if (!(Buffer.isBuffer(digest))) {
-    throw new Error('digest should be a Buffer')
+  if (!(digest instanceof Uint8Array)) {
+    throw new Error('digest should be a Uint8Array')
   }
 
   if (length == null) {
@@ -141,11 +150,13 @@ exports.encode = function encode (digest, code, length) {
     throw new Error('digest length should be equal to specified length.')
   }
 
-  return Buffer.concat([
-    Buffer.from(varint.encode(hashfn)),
-    Buffer.from(varint.encode(length)),
-    digest
-  ])
+  const hash = varint.encode(hashfn)
+  const len = varint.encode(length)
+  const buffer = Buffer.alloc(hash.length + len.length + digest.length)
+  buffer.set(hash, 0)
+  buffer.set(len, hash.length)
+  buffer.set(digest, hash.length + len.length)
+  return buffer
 }
 
 /**
@@ -206,8 +217,8 @@ exports.isValidCode = function validCode (code) {
 /**
  * Check if the given buffer is a valid multihash. Throws an error if it is not valid.
  *
- * @param {Buffer} multihash
- * @returns {undefined}
+ * @param {Uint8Array} multihash
+ * @returns {void}
  * @throws {Error}
  */
 function validate (multihash) {
@@ -218,12 +229,12 @@ exports.validate = validate
 /**
  * Returns a prefix from a valid multihash. Throws an error if it is not valid.
  *
- * @param {Buffer} multihash
- * @returns {undefined}
+ * @param {Uint8Array} multihash
+ * @returns {Buffer}
  * @throws {Error}
  */
 exports.prefix = function prefix (multihash) {
   validate(multihash)
 
-  return multihash.slice(0, 2)
+  return Buffer.from(multihash.buffer, multihash.byteOffset, 2)
 }
diff --git a/test/index.spec.js b/test/index.spec.js
index f7e11e5e..32bc7f22 100644
--- a/test/index.spec.js
+++ b/test/index.spec.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const mh = require('../src')
 const constants = require('../src/constants')
 const validCases = require('./fixtures/valid')
 const invalidCases = require('./fixtures/invalid')
+const { TextEncoder } = require('web-encoding')
 
 function sample (code, size, hex) {
   const toHex = (i) => {
@@ -24,12 +25,28 @@ function sample (code, size, hex) {
   return Buffer.from(`${toHex(code)}${toHex(size)}${hex}`, 'hex')
 }
 
+const they = (description, test) => {
+  it(`${description} (Buffer)`, () => test({
+    encodeText: Buffer.from,
+    encodeHex: (text) => Buffer.from(text, 'hex')
+  }))
+
+  const textEncoder = new TextEncoder()
+  it(`${description} (Uint8Array)`, () => test({
+    encodeText: (text) => textEncoder.encode(text),
+    encodeHex: (text) => {
+      const { buffer, byteOffset, byteLength } = Buffer.from(text, 'hex')
+      return new Uint8Array(buffer, byteOffset, byteLength)
+    }
+  }))
+}
+
 describe('multihash', () => {
   describe('toHexString', () => {
-    it('valid', () => {
+    they('valid', ({ encodeHex }) => {
       validCases.forEach((test) => {
         const code = test.encoding.code
-        const buf = mh.encode(Buffer.from(test.hex, 'hex'), code)
+        const buf = mh.encode(encodeHex(test.hex), code)
         expect(
           mh.toHexString(buf)
         ).to.be.eql(
@@ -42,16 +59,16 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       expect(
         () => mh.toHexString('hello world')
       ).to.throw(
-        /must be passed a buffer/
+        /must be passed a Uint8Array/
       )
     })
   })
 
   describe('fromHexString', () => {
-    it('valid', () => {
+    they('valid', ({ encodeHex }) => {
       validCases.forEach((test) => {
         const code = test.encoding.code
-        const buf = mh.encode(Buffer.from(test.hex, 'hex'), code)
+        const buf = mh.encode(encodeHex(test.hex), code)
         expect(
           mh.fromHexString(buf.toString('hex')).toString('hex')
         ).to.be.eql(
@@ -62,10 +79,10 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
   })
 
   describe('toB58String', () => {
-    it('valid', () => {
+    they('valid', ({ encodeHex }) => {
       validCases.forEach((test) => {
         const code = test.encoding.code
-        const buf = mh.encode(Buffer.from(test.hex, 'hex'), code)
+        const buf = mh.encode(encodeHex(test.hex), code)
         expect(
           mh.toB58String(buf)
         ).to.be.eql(
@@ -78,15 +95,15 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       expect(
         () => mh.toB58String('hello world')
       ).to.throw(
-        /must be passed a buffer/
+        /must be passed a Uint8Array/
       )
     })
   })
 
   describe('fromB58String', () => {
-    it('valid', () => {
+    they('valid', ({ encodeHex, encodeText }) => {
       const src = 'QmPfjpVaf593UQJ9a5ECvdh2x17XuJYG5Yanv5UFnH3jPE'
-      const expected = Buffer.from('122013bf801597d74a660453412635edd8c34271e5998f801fac5d700c6ce8d8e461', 'hex')
+      const expected = encodeHex('122013bf801597d74a660453412635edd8c34271e5998f801fac5d700c6ce8d8e461')
 
       expect(
         mh.fromB58String(src)
@@ -95,7 +112,7 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       )
 
       expect(
-        mh.fromB58String(Buffer.from(src))
+        mh.fromB58String(encodeText(src))
       ).to.be.eql(
         expected
       )
@@ -125,20 +142,20 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       expect(
         () => mh.decode('hello')
       ).to.throw(
-        /multihash must be a Buffer/
+        /multihash must be a Uint8Array/
       )
     })
   })
 
   describe('encode', () => {
-    it('valid', () => {
+    they('valid', ({ encodeHex }) => {
       validCases.forEach((test) => {
         const code = test.encoding.code
         const name = test.encoding.name
         const buf = sample(test.encoding.varint || code, test.size, test.hex)
         const results = [
-          mh.encode(Buffer.from(test.hex, 'hex'), code),
-          mh.encode(Buffer.from(test.hex, 'hex'), name)
+          mh.encode(encodeHex(test.hex), code),
+          mh.encode(encodeHex(test.hex), name)
         ]
 
         results.forEach((res) => {
@@ -151,7 +168,7 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       })
     })
 
-    it('invalid', () => {
+    they('invalid', ({ encodeText }) => {
       expect(
         () => mh.encode()
       ).to.throw(
@@ -161,11 +178,11 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       expect(
         () => mh.encode('hello', 0x11)
       ).to.throw(
-        /digest should be a Buffer/
+        /digest should be a Uint8Array/
       )
 
       expect(
-        () => mh.encode(Buffer.from('hello'), 0x11, 2)
+        () => mh.encode(encodeText('hello'), 0x11, 2)
       ).to.throw(
         /length should be equal/
       )
@@ -188,7 +205,7 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
         ).to.throw()
       })
 
-      const longBuffer = Buffer.alloc(150, 'a')
+      const longBuffer = Uint8Array.from(Buffer.alloc(150, 'a'))
       expect(
         () => mh.validate(longBuffer)
       ).to.throw()
@@ -277,7 +294,7 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       })
     })
 
-    it('invalid', () => {
+    they('invalid', ({ encodeText }) => {
       const invalidNames = [
         'sha256',
         'sha9',
@@ -293,7 +310,7 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
       })
 
       expect(
-        () => mh.coerceCode(Buffer.from('hello'))
+        () => mh.coerceCode(encodeText('hello'))
       ).to.throw(
         /should be a number/
       )
@@ -306,14 +323,14 @@ describe('multihash', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  it('prefix', () => {
-    const multihash = mh.encode(Buffer.from('hey'), 0x11, 3)
+  they('prefix', ({ encodeText }) => {
+    const multihash = mh.encode(encodeText('hey'), 0x11, 3)
     const prefix = mh.prefix(multihash)
     expect(prefix.toString('hex')).to.eql('1103')
   })
 
-  it('prefix throws on invalid multihash', () => {
-    const multihash = Buffer.from('definitely not valid')
+  they('prefix throws on invalid multihash', ({ encodeText }) => {
+    const multihash = encodeText('definitely not valid')
 
     expect(() => mh.prefix(multihash)).to.throw()
   })