diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 01d9242..f9af47a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ target_link_libraries(scratchpad
 set(
     LIBRARY_SRC_FILES
     src/wallet/MoneroWallet.cpp
+    src/utils/MoneroUtils.cpp
 )
 
 add_library(monero-cpp SHARED ${LIBRARY_SRC_FILES})
diff --git a/src/utils/MoneroUtils.cpp b/src/utils/MoneroUtils.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fd1c79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/MoneroUtils.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#include "MoneroUtils.h"
+#include "rpc/core_rpc_server_commands_defs.h"
+#include "storages/portable_storage_template_helper.h"
+#include "cryptonote_basic/cryptonote_format_utils.h"
+#include <boost/property_tree/ptree.hpp>
+#include <boost/property_tree/json_parser.hpp>
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace boost;
+using namespace cryptonote;
+using namespace MoneroUtils;
+
+void MoneroUtils::json_to_binary(const std::string &buff_json, std::string &buff_bin) {
+  epee::serialization::portable_storage ps;
+  ps.load_from_json(buff_json);
+  ps.store_to_binary(buff_bin);
+}
+
+void MoneroUtils::binary_to_json(const std::string &buff_bin, std::string &buff_json) {
+  epee::serialization::portable_storage ps;
+  ps.load_from_binary(buff_bin);
+  ps.dump_as_json(buff_json);
+}
+
+void MoneroUtils::binary_blocks_to_json(const std::string &buff_bin, std::string &buff_json) {
+
+  // load binary rpc response to struct
+  cryptonote::COMMAND_RPC_GET_BLOCKS_BY_HEIGHT::response resp_struct;
+  epee::serialization::load_t_from_binary(resp_struct, buff_bin);
+
+  // build property tree from deserialized blocks and transactions
+  boost::property_tree::ptree root;
+  boost::property_tree::ptree blocksNode;	// array of block strings
+  boost::property_tree::ptree txsNodes;		// array of txs per block (array of array)
+  for (int blockIdx = 0; blockIdx < resp_struct.blocks.size(); blockIdx++) {
+
+      // parse and validate block
+      cryptonote::block block;
+      if (cryptonote::parse_and_validate_block_from_blob(resp_struct.blocks[blockIdx].block, block)) {
+
+	  // add block node to blocks node
+	  boost::property_tree::ptree blockNode;
+	  blockNode.put("", cryptonote::obj_to_json_str(block));	// TODO: no pretty print
+	  blocksNode.push_back(std::make_pair("", blockNode));
+      } else {
+	  throw std::runtime_error("failed to parse block blob at index " + std::to_string(blockIdx));
+      }
+
+      // parse and validate txs
+      boost::property_tree::ptree txsNode;
+      for (int txIdx = 0; txIdx < resp_struct.blocks[blockIdx].txs.size(); txIdx++) {
+	  cryptonote::transaction tx;
+	  if (cryptonote::parse_and_validate_tx_from_blob(resp_struct.blocks[blockIdx].txs[txIdx], tx)) {
+
+	      // add tx node to txs node
+	      boost::property_tree::ptree txNode;
+	      //std::cout << "PRUNED:\n" << MoneroUtils::get_pruned_tx_json(tx) << "\n";
+	      txNode.put("", MoneroUtils::get_pruned_tx_json(tx));	// TODO: no pretty print
+	      txsNode.push_back(std::make_pair("", txNode));
+	  } else {
+	      throw std::runtime_error("failed to parse tx blob at index " + std::to_string(txIdx));
+	  }
+      }
+      txsNodes.push_back(std::make_pair("", txsNode));	// array of array of transactions, one array per block
+  }
+  root.add_child("blocks", blocksNode);
+  root.add_child("txs", txsNodes);
+  root.put("status", resp_struct.status);
+  root.put("untrusted", resp_struct.untrusted);	// TODO: loss of ints and bools
+
+  // convert root to string // TODO: common utility with serial_bridge
+  std::stringstream ss;
+  boost::property_tree::write_json(ss, root, false/*pretty*/);
+  buff_json = ss.str();
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/MoneroUtils.h b/src/utils/MoneroUtils.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3bcb837
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/MoneroUtils.h
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#ifndef MoneroUtils_h
+#define MoneroUtils_h
+
+#include "cryptonote_basic/cryptonote_basic.h"
+#include "serialization/keyvalue_serialization.h"	// TODO: consolidate with other binary deps?
+#include "storages/portable_storage.h"
+
+/**
+ * Collection of utilities for working with Monero's binary portable storage format.
+ */
+namespace MoneroUtils
+{
+  using namespace std;
+  using namespace boost;
+  using namespace cryptonote;
+
+  /**
+   * TODO.
+   */
+  void json_to_binary(const std::string &buff_json, std::string &buff_bin);
+
+  /**
+   * TODO.
+   */
+  void binary_to_json(const std::string &buff_bin, std::string &buff_json);
+
+  /**
+   * TODO.
+   */
+  void binary_blocks_to_json(const std::string &buff_bin, std::string &buff_json);
+
+  /**
+   * Modified from core_rpc_server.cpp to return a string.
+   */
+  static std::string get_pruned_tx_json(cryptonote::transaction &tx)
+  {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    json_archive<true> ar(ss);
+    bool r = tx.serialize_base(ar);
+    CHECK_AND_ASSERT_MES(r, std::string(), "Failed to serialize rct signatures base");
+    return ss.str();
+  }
+}
+#endif /* MoneroUtils_h */