diff --git a/zebra-network/src/lib.rs b/zebra-network/src/lib.rs
index 8fa2ce77..92028e05 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/lib.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 #![deny(missing_docs)]
 
+#[macro_use]
+extern crate failure;
+
+pub mod serialization;
 pub mod message;
 pub mod types;
 mod constants;
diff --git a/zebra-network/src/serialization.rs b/zebra-network/src/serialization.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a89136b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zebra-network/src/serialization.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+//! Serializat
+
+use std::io;
+
+use crate::types::{Magic, Version};
+
+use byteorder::{LittleEndian, ReadBytesExt, WriteBytesExt};
+
+/// A serialization error.
+// XXX refine error types -- better to use boxed errors?
+#[derive(Fail, Debug)]
+pub enum SerializationError {
+    /// An underlying IO error.
+    #[fail(display = "io error {}", _0)]
+    IoError(io::Error),
+    /// The data to be deserialized was malformed.
+    #[fail(display = "parse error")]
+    ParseError,
+}
+
+// Allow upcasting io::Error to SerializationError
+impl From<io::Error> for SerializationError {
+    fn from(e: io::Error) -> Self {
+        Self::IoError(e)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Extends [`Write`] with methods for writing Zcash/Bitcoin types.
+///
+/// [`Write`]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/io/trait.Write.html
+pub trait WriteZcashExt: io::Write {
+    /// Writes a `u64` using the Bitcoin `CompactSize` encoding.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```rust
+    /// use zebra_network::serialization::WriteZcashExt;
+    ///
+    /// let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    /// buf.write_compactsize(0x12).unwrap();
+    /// assert_eq!(buf, b"\x12");
+    ///
+    /// let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    /// buf.write_compactsize(0xfd).unwrap();
+    /// assert_eq!(buf, b"\xfd\xfd\x00");
+    ///
+    /// let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    /// buf.write_compactsize(0xaafd).unwrap();
+    /// assert_eq!(buf, b"\xfd\xfd\xaa");
+    ///
+    /// let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    /// buf.write_compactsize(0xbbaafd).unwrap();
+    /// assert_eq!(buf, b"\xfe\xfd\xaa\xbb\x00");
+    ///
+    /// let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    /// buf.write_compactsize(0x22ccbbaafd).unwrap();
+    /// assert_eq!(buf, b"\xff\xfd\xaa\xbb\xcc\x22\x00\x00\x00");
+    /// ```
+    #[inline]
+    fn write_compactsize(&mut self, n: u64) -> io::Result<()> {
+        match n {
+            0x0000_0000..=0x0000_00fc => self.write_u8(n as u8),
+            0x0000_00fd..=0x0001_0000 => {
+                self.write_u8(0xfd)?;
+                self.write_u16::<LittleEndian>(n as u16)
+            }
+            0x0001_0000..=0xffff_ffff => {
+                self.write_u8(0xfe)?;
+                self.write_u32::<LittleEndian>(n as u32)
+            }
+            _ => {
+                self.write_u8(0xff)?;
+                self.write_u64::<LittleEndian>(n)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Mark all types implementing `Write` as implementing the extension.
+impl<W: io::Write + ?Sized> WriteZcashExt for W {}
+
+/// Extends [`Read`] with methods for writing Zcash/Bitcoin types.
+///
+/// [`Read`]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/io/trait.Read.html
+pub trait ReadZcashExt: io::Read {
+    /// Reads a `u64` using the Bitcoin `CompactSize` encoding.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```rust
+    /// use zebra_network::serialization::ReadZcashExt;
+    ///
+    /// use std::io::Cursor;
+    /// assert_eq!(
+    ///     0x12,
+    ///     Cursor::new(b"\x12")
+    ///         .read_compactsize().unwrap()
+    /// );
+    /// assert_eq!(
+    ///     0xfd,
+    ///     Cursor::new(b"\xfd\xfd\x00")
+    ///         .read_compactsize().unwrap()
+    /// );
+    /// assert_eq!(
+    ///     0xaafd,
+    ///     Cursor::new(b"\xfd\xfd\xaa")
+    ///         .read_compactsize().unwrap()
+    /// );
+    /// assert_eq!(
+    ///     0xbbaafd,
+    ///     Cursor::new(b"\xfe\xfd\xaa\xbb\x00")
+    ///         .read_compactsize().unwrap()
+    /// );
+    /// assert_eq!(
+    ///     0x22ccbbaafd,
+    ///     Cursor::new(b"\xff\xfd\xaa\xbb\xcc\x22\x00\x00\x00")
+    ///         .read_compactsize().unwrap()
+    /// );
+    /// ```
+    #[inline]
+    fn read_compactsize(&mut self) -> Result<u64, SerializationError> {
+        let flag_byte = self.read_u8()?;
+        match flag_byte {
+            0xff => Ok(self.read_u64::<LittleEndian>()?),
+            0xfe => Ok(self.read_u32::<LittleEndian>()? as u64),
+            0xfd => Ok(self.read_u16::<LittleEndian>()? as u64),
+            n => Ok(n as u64),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Mark all types implementing `Read` as implementing the extension.
+impl<R: io::Read + ?Sized> ReadZcashExt for R {}