diff --git a/tests/difference/core/driver/setup.go b/tests/difference/core/driver/setup.go
index 23739a44f2..e0fc219ea1 100644
--- a/tests/difference/core/driver/setup.go
+++ b/tests/difference/core/driver/setup.go
@@ -14,21 +14,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/crypto"
 	tmproto "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/proto/tendermint/types"
 	tmtypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 
-	"github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3/testing/mock"
-
 	ibctesting "github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3/testing"
 
 	cryptocodec "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/codec"
 	stakingtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/staking/types"
 	simapp "github.com/cosmos/interchain-security/testutil/simapp"
 
-	cryptoEd25519 "crypto/ed25519"
-
-	cosmosEd25519 "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/keys/ed25519"
+	testcrypto "github.com/cosmos/interchain-security/testutil/crypto"
 
 	clienttypes "github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3/modules/core/02-client/types"
 	channeltypes "github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3/modules/core/04-channel/types"
@@ -60,24 +55,6 @@ type Builder struct {
 	initState      InitState
 }
 
-type ValidatorKeyData struct {
-	signer  mock.PV
-	address sdk.ValAddress
-	pubKey  crypto.PubKey
-}
-
-func (b *Builder) getValidatorKeyData(seedIx int) ValidatorKeyData {
-	ret := ValidatorKeyData{}
-	ret.signer = b.getValidatorPK(seedIx)
-	pubKey, err := ret.signer.GetPubKey()
-	require.NoError(b.suite.T(), err)
-	ret.pubKey = pubKey
-	addr, err := sdk.ValAddressFromHex(ret.pubKey.Address().String())
-	require.NoError(b.suite.T(), err)
-	ret.address = addr
-	return ret
-}
-
 func (b *Builder) ctx(chain string) sdk.Context {
 	return b.chain(chain).GetContext()
 }
@@ -135,10 +112,8 @@ func (b *Builder) consAddr(i int64) sdk.ConsAddress {
 }
 
 // getValidatorPK returns the validator private key using the given seed index
-func (b *Builder) getValidatorPK(seedIx int) mock.PV {
-	seed := []byte(b.initState.PKSeeds[seedIx])
-	//lint:ignore SA1019 We don't care because this is only a test.
-	return mock.PV{PrivKey: &cosmosEd25519.PrivKey{Key: cryptoEd25519.NewKeyFromSeed(seed)}}
+func (b *Builder) getValidatorPK(seedIx int) testcrypto.Validator {
+	return testcrypto.NewValidatorFromBytesSeed([]byte(b.initState.PKSeeds[seedIx]))
 }
 
 func (b *Builder) getAppBytesAndSenders(chainID string, app ibctesting.TestingApp, genesis map[string]json.RawMessage,
@@ -335,10 +310,10 @@ func (b *Builder) createValidators() (*tmtypes.ValidatorSet, map[string]tmtypes.
 			continue
 		}
 
-		validatorKeyData := b.getValidatorKeyData(i)
-		signers[validatorKeyData.pubKey.Address().String()] = validatorKeyData.signer
-		addresses = append(addresses, validatorKeyData.address)
-		validators = append(validators, tmtypes.NewValidator(validatorKeyData.pubKey, int64(power)))
+		testVal := b.getValidatorPK(i)
+		signers[testVal.SDKValAddressString()] = testVal
+		addresses = append(addresses, testVal.SDKValAddress())
+		validators = append(validators, testVal.TMValidator(int64(power)))
 	}
 
 	return tmtypes.NewValidatorSet(validators), signers, addresses
diff --git a/testutil/crypto/crypto.go b/testutil/crypto/crypto.go
index 0a7702d36c..9aeae3e277 100644
--- a/testutil/crypto/crypto.go
+++ b/testutil/crypto/crypto.go
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import (
 
 	sdkcryptocodec "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/codec"
 	sdkcryptotypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/types"
+	sdktypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 
 	tmcrypto "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/crypto"
 	tmprotocrypto "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/proto/tendermint/crypto"
+	tmtypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 )
 
 type Validator struct {
@@ -33,6 +35,10 @@ func NewValidatorFromIntSeed(i int) Validator {
 	return NewValidatorFromBytesSeed(seed)
 }
 
+func (v *Validator) TMValidator(power int64) *tmtypes.Validator {
+	return tmtypes.NewValidator(v.TMCryptoPubKey(), power)
+}
+
 func (v *Validator) TMProtoCryptoPublicKey() tmprotocrypto.PublicKey {
 	ret, err := sdkcryptocodec.ToTmProtoPublicKey(v.SDKPubKey())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -57,3 +63,15 @@ func (v *Validator) SDKPubKey() sdkcryptotypes.PubKey {
 	}
 	return ret
 }
+
+func (v *Validator) SDKValAddressString() string {
+	return v.TMCryptoPubKey().Address().String()
+}
+
+func (v *Validator) SDKValAddress() sdktypes.ValAddress {
+	ret, err := sdktypes.ValAddressFromHex(v.SDKValAddressString())
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return ret
+}