diff --git a/src/main/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/Address.scala b/src/main/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/Address.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..833b6a9b1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/Address.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+package org.scalacoin.protocol
+
+import org.bitcoinj.core.{VersionedChecksummedBytes, Base58, Utils}
+
+case class AddressInfo(bitcoinAddress: BitcoinAddress, n_tx: Long, total_received: Long, total_sent: Long,
+  final_balance: Long)
+
+sealed abstract class Address(val address : String)
+sealed case class BitcoinAddress(bitcoinAddress: String) extends Address(bitcoinAddress) {
+  require(BitcoinAddress.validate(bitcoinAddress), "Bitcoin address was invalid " + bitcoinAddress)
+}
+
+sealed case class AssetAddress(assetAddress : String) extends Address(assetAddress) {
+  require(AssetAddress.validate(assetAddress), "The provided asset was was invalid: " + assetAddress)
+}
+
+object BitcoinAddress {
+  def validate(bitcoinAddress: String): Boolean = {
+    val illegalChars = List('O', 'I', 'l', '0')
+    bitcoinAddress.length >= 26 && bitcoinAddress.length <= 35 &&
+      (p2pkh(bitcoinAddress) || p2shAddress(bitcoinAddress)) &&
+      bitcoinAddress.filter(c => illegalChars.contains(c)).size == 0
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Converts a bitcoin address to an asset address
+   * @param address
+   * @return
+   */
+  def convertToAssetAddress(address : BitcoinAddress) : AssetAddress = {
+    val underlying : String  = address.bitcoinAddress
+    val base58decodeChecked : Array[Byte] = Base58.decodeChecked(underlying)
+    require (
+      base58decodeChecked.size == 21
+    )
+    AssetAddress(new VersionedChecksummedBytes(0x13, base58decodeChecked){}.toString())
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if a address is a valid p2sh address
+   * @param address
+   * @return
+   */
+  def p2shAddress(address : String) : Boolean = {
+    address.charAt(0) == '3' || address.charAt(0) == '2'
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if a address is a valid p2sh address
+   * @param address
+   * @return
+   */
+  def p2shAddress(address : BitcoinAddress) : Boolean = p2shAddress(address.bitcoinAddress)
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if an address is a valid p2pkh address
+   * @param address
+   * @return
+   */
+  def p2pkh(address : String) : Boolean = {
+    val firstChar = address.charAt(0)
+    firstChar == '1' || firstChar == 'm' || firstChar == 'n'
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if an address is a valid p2pkh address
+   * @param address
+   * @return
+   */
+  def p2pkh(address : BitcoinAddress) : Boolean = p2pkh(address.bitcoinAddress)
+}
+
+object AssetAddress {
+  def validate(assetAddress : String) = {
+    //asset addresses must have the one byte namespace equivalent to 19
+    //which ends up being 'a' in the ascii character set
+    val base58decodechecked : Array[Byte] = Base58.decodeChecked(assetAddress)
+    require(base58decodechecked != null)
+    base58decodechecked.size == 22  && base58decodechecked(0) == 0x13
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Converts an asset address into a bitcoin address
+   * @param assetAddress
+   * @return
+   */
+  def convertToBitcoinAddress(assetAddress : AssetAddress) = {
+    val underlying : String = assetAddress.assetAddress
+    val base58decodeChecked : Array[Byte] = Base58.decodeChecked(underlying)
+
+    require(base58decodeChecked.size == 22)
+
+    val slice = base58decodeChecked.slice(2, base58decodeChecked.length)
+    BitcoinAddress(new VersionedChecksummedBytes(base58decodeChecked(1), slice){}.toString())
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/AddressTest.scala b/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/AddressTest.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a9ae01ef3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/AddressTest.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package org.scalacoin.protocol
+
+import org.scalacoin.util.TestUtil
+import org.scalatest.{FlatSpec, MustMatchers}
+
+/**
+ * Created by chris on 3/23/15.
+ */
+class AddressTest extends FlatSpec with MustMatchers {
+  val assetAddress = TestUtil.assetAddress
+  "Addresses" must "be able to convert back and forth between a Bitcoin Address & an asset address" in {
+    val convertedOnce = BitcoinAddress.convertToAssetAddress(TestUtil.bitcoinAddress)
+    val actual : BitcoinAddress = AssetAddress.convertToBitcoinAddress(convertedOnce)
+    actual must be (TestUtil.bitcoinAddress)
+    val bitcoinAddress = AssetAddress.convertToBitcoinAddress(assetAddress)
+    val actualAssetAddress = BitcoinAddress.convertToAssetAddress(bitcoinAddress)
+    actualAssetAddress must be (assetAddress)
+  }
+
+  it must "allow type encapsulation for addresses" in {
+
+    val bitcoinAddress : Address = TestUtil.bitcoinAddress
+    val assetAddress : Address = TestUtil.assetAddress
+    assetAddress must be (TestUtil.assetAddress)
+    bitcoinAddress must be (TestUtil.bitcoinAddress)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/BitcoinAddressTest.scala b/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/BitcoinAddressTest.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7923d7a2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/protocol/BitcoinAddressTest.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package org.scalacoin.protocol
+
+import org.scalatest.{FlatSpec, MustMatchers}
+
+class BitcoinAddressTest extends FlatSpec with MustMatchers {
+
+  "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLy" must "be a valid bitcoin address" in {
+    val address = "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLy"
+    BitcoinAddress(address).bitcoinAddress must be(address)
+
+  }
+
+  "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLy" must "be a valid p2sh address and not a valid p2pkh" in {
+    val address = "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLy"
+    BitcoinAddress.p2shAddress(address) must be (true)
+    BitcoinAddress.p2pkh(address) must be (false)
+  }
+
+  "17WN1kFw8D6w1eHzqvkh49xwjE3iPN925b" must "be a valid p2pkh" in {
+    val address = "17WN1kFw8D6w1eHzqvkh49xwjE3iPN925b"
+    BitcoinAddress.p2pkh(address) must be (true)
+    BitcoinAddress.p2shAddress(address) must be (false)
+  }
+
+  "The empty string" must "not be a valid bitcoin address" in {
+    intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
+      BitcoinAddress("")
+    }
+  }
+  "A string that is 25 characters long" must "not be a valid bitcoin address" in {
+    val address = "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiW"
+    intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
+      BitcoinAddress(address)
+    }
+  }
+
+  "A string that is 36 characters long" must "not be a valid bitcoin address" in {
+    val address = "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLyyy"
+    intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
+      BitcoinAddress(address)
+    }
+  }
+
+  "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWr (26 characters) " must "be a valid bitcoin address" in {
+    val address = "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWr"
+    BitcoinAddress(address).bitcoinAddress must be(address)
+  }
+
+  "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLyy (35 characters)" must "be a valid bitcoin address" in {
+    val address = "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLyy"
+    BitcoinAddress(address).bitcoinAddress must be(address)
+  }
+
+
+
+
+  "akJsoCcyh34FGPotxfEoSXGwFPCNAkyCgTA" must "be a valid asset address" in {
+    val assetAddress = AssetAddress("akJsoCcyh34FGPotxfEoSXGwFPCNAkyCgTA")
+    assetAddress.assetAddress must be ("akJsoCcyh34FGPotxfEoSXGwFPCNAkyCgTA")
+  }
+
+  "An asset address with the first character replaced" must "not be a valid asset address" in {
+    //3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLyy
+    intercept[org.bitcoinj.core.AddressFormatException] {
+      val assetAddress = AssetAddress("aJ98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLyy")
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/util/TestUtil.scala b/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/util/TestUtil.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..85fe11f10c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/scala/org/scalacoin/util/TestUtil.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package org.scalacoin.util
+
+import org.scalacoin.protocol.{AssetAddress, BitcoinAddress}
+
+/**
+ * Created by chris on 12/2/15.
+ */
+object TestUtil {
+
+  val testBitcoinAddress = BitcoinAddress("n3p1ct69ao3qxWvEvzLhLtWG2zJGTjN3EV")
+  val testP2SHAddress = BitcoinAddress("2MzYbQdkSVp5wVyMRp6A5PHPuQNHpiaTbCj")
+  val bitcoinAddress = BitcoinAddress("1C4kYhyLftmkn48YarSoLupxHfYFo8kp64")
+  val multiSigAddress = BitcoinAddress("342ftSRCvFHfCeFFBuz4xwbeqnDw6BGUey")
+  val assetAddress = AssetAddress("akJsoCcyh34FGPotxfEoSXGwFPCNAkyCgTA")
+}