diff --git a/contracts/multisig-prover/src/encoding/bcs.rs b/contracts/multisig-prover/src/encoding/bcs.rs
index b8bccd9a9..7605da1d6 100644
--- a/contracts/multisig-prover/src/encoding/bcs.rs
+++ b/contracts/multisig-prover/src/encoding/bcs.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,50 @@
 use bcs::to_bytes;
 use cosmwasm_std::{HexBinary, Uint256};
 use itertools::Itertools;
+use multisig::{key::Signature, msg::Signer};
 
-use crate::error::ContractError;
+use crate::{error::ContractError, types::Operator};
 
 use super::Data;
 
 // TODO: all of the public functions in this file should be moved to a trait,
 // that has an abi and bcs implementation (and possibly others)
 
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+fn encode_proof(
+    quorum: Uint256,
+    signers: Vec<(Signer, Option<Signature>)>,
+) -> Result<HexBinary, ContractError> {
+    let mut operators = make_operators_with_sigs(signers);
+    operators.sort(); // gateway requires operators to be sorted
+
+    let (addresses, weights, signatures): (Vec<_>, Vec<_>, Vec<_>) = operators
+        .iter()
+        .map(|op| {
+            (
+                op.address.to_vec(),
+                u256_to_u128(op.weight),
+                op.signature.as_ref().map(|sig| sig.as_ref().to_vec()),
+            )
+        })
+        .multiunzip();
+
+    let signatures: Vec<Vec<u8>> = signatures.into_iter().flatten().collect();
+    let quorum = u256_to_u128(quorum);
+    Ok(to_bytes(&(addresses, weights, quorum, signatures))?.into())
+}
+
+fn make_operators_with_sigs(signers_with_sigs: Vec<(Signer, Option<Signature>)>) -> Vec<Operator> {
+    signers_with_sigs
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|(signer, sig)| Operator {
+            address: signer.pub_key.into(),
+            weight: signer.weight,
+            signature: sig,
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
 pub fn command_params(
     source_chain: String,
     source_address: String,
@@ -41,10 +77,6 @@ pub fn command_params(
     .into())
 }
 
-fn u256_to_u64(chain_id: Uint256) -> u64 {
-    chain_id.to_string().parse().expect("chain_id is invalid")
-}
-
 fn make_command_id(command_id: &HexBinary) -> [u8; 32] {
     // command-ids are fixed length sequences
     command_id
@@ -79,28 +111,118 @@ pub fn encode(data: &Data) -> HexBinary {
     .into()
 }
 
+fn u256_to_u128(val: Uint256) -> u128 {
+    val.to_string().parse().expect("value is larger than u128")
+}
+
+fn u256_to_u64(chain_id: Uint256) -> u64 {
+    chain_id
+        .to_string()
+        .parse()
+        .expect("value is larger than u64")
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
 
     use std::vec;
 
     use bcs::from_bytes;
-    use cosmwasm_std::{HexBinary, Uint256};
+    use cosmwasm_std::{Addr, HexBinary, Uint256};
+    use multisig::{
+        key::{PublicKey, Signature},
+        msg::Signer,
+    };
 
     use crate::{
         encoding::{
-            bcs::{command_params, encode, make_command_id, u256_to_u64},
+            bcs::{
+                command_params, encode, encode_proof, make_command_id, u256_to_u128, u256_to_u64,
+            },
             Data,
         },
         types::Command,
     };
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_u256_to_u128() {
+        let val = u128::MAX;
+        assert_eq!(val, u256_to_u128(Uint256::from(val)));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_chain_id_as_u64() {
         let chain_id = 1u64;
         assert_eq!(chain_id, u256_to_u64(Uint256::from(chain_id as u128)));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn test_u256_to_u128_fails() {
+        let _ = u256_to_u128(Uint256::MAX);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_encode_proof() {
+        let signers = vec![
+        (Signer {
+            address: Addr::unchecked("axelarvaloper1ff675m593vve8yh82lzhdnqfpu7m23cxstr6h4"),
+            weight: Uint256::from(10u128),
+            pub_key: PublicKey::Ecdsa(
+                HexBinary::from_hex(
+                    "03c6ddb0fcee7b528da1ef3c9eed8d51eeacd7cc28a8baa25c33037c5562faa6e4",
+                )
+                .unwrap(),
+            ),
+        },
+        Some(Signature::Ecdsa(
+        HexBinary::from_hex("283786d844a7c4d1d424837074d0c8ec71becdcba4dd42b5307cb543a0e2c8b81c10ad541defd5ce84d2a608fc454827d0b65b4865c8192a2ea1736a5c4b72021b").unwrap()))),
+            (Signer {
+            address: Addr::unchecked("axelarvaloper1x86a8prx97ekkqej2x636utrdu23y8wupp9gk5"),
+            weight: Uint256::from(10u128),
+            pub_key: PublicKey::Ecdsa(
+                HexBinary::from_hex(
+                    "03d123ce370b163acd576be0e32e436bb7e63262769881d35fa3573943bf6c6f81",
+                )
+                .unwrap(),
+            ),
+        },
+        Some(Signature::Ecdsa(
+        HexBinary::from_hex("283786d844a7c4d1d424837074d0c8ec71becdcba4dd42b5307cb543a0e2c8b81c10ad541defd5ce84d2a608fc454827d0b65b4865c8192a2ea1736a5c4b72021b").unwrap())))];
+
+        let quorum = Uint256::from(10u128);
+        let proof = encode_proof(quorum, signers.clone());
+
+        assert!(proof.is_ok());
+        let proof = proof.unwrap();
+        let decoded_proof: Result<(Vec<Vec<u8>>, Vec<u128>, u128, Vec<Vec<u8>>), _> =
+            from_bytes(&proof);
+        assert!(decoded_proof.is_ok());
+        let (operators, weights, quorum_decoded, signatures): (
+            Vec<Vec<u8>>,
+            Vec<u128>,
+            u128,
+            Vec<Vec<u8>>,
+        ) = decoded_proof.unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(operators.len(), signers.len());
+        assert_eq!(weights.len(), signers.len());
+        assert_eq!(signatures.len(), signers.len());
+        assert_eq!(quorum_decoded, 10u128);
+
+        for i in 0..signers.len() {
+            assert_eq!(
+                operators[i],
+                HexBinary::from(signers[i].0.pub_key.clone()).to_vec()
+            );
+            assert_eq!(weights[i], 10u128);
+            assert_eq!(
+                signatures[i],
+                HexBinary::from(signers[i].1.clone().unwrap()).to_vec()
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     #[should_panic]
     fn test_chain_id_as_u64_fails() {