diff --git a/src/lib.cairo b/src/lib.cairo
index 962ed1da..201712a7 100644
--- a/src/lib.cairo
+++ b/src/lib.cairo
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-mod utils;
+pub mod utils;
 pub mod validation;
+
 mod state;
 mod main;
 mod merkle_tree;
diff --git a/src/validation.cairo b/src/validation.cairo
index 177eae3b..c9c58717 100644
--- a/src/validation.cairo
+++ b/src/validation.cairo
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use super::merkle_tree::merkle_root;
-use super::utils::{shl, shr, double_sha256};
+use super::utils::{shl, shr};
 use super::state::{Block, ChainState, Transaction, UtreexoState};
 
 const MAX_TARGET: u256 = 0x00000000FFFF0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000;
@@ -102,6 +102,46 @@ fn adjust_difficulty(self: @ChainState, block: @Block) -> (u32, u32) {
     (*self.current_target, *self.epoch_start_time)
 }
 
+fn validate_merkle_root(self: @ChainState, block: @Block) -> Result<(), ByteArray> {
+    // TODO: implement
+    Result::Ok(())
+}
+
+// Helper functions
+pub fn bits_to_target(bits: u32) -> Result<u256, felt252> {
+    // Extract exponent and mantissa
+    let exponent: u32 = (bits / 0x1000000);
+    let mantissa: u32 = bits & 0x00FFFFFF;
+
+    // Check if mantissa is valid (should be less than 0x1000000)
+    if mantissa > 0x7FFFFF && exponent != 0 {
+        return Result::Err('Invalid mantissa');
+    }
+
+    // Calculate the full target value
+    let mut target: u256 = mantissa.into();
+
+    if exponent == 0 {
+        // Special case: exponent 0 means we use the mantissa as-is
+        return Result::Ok(target);
+    } else if exponent <= 3 {
+        // For exponents 1, 2, and 3, divide by 256^(3 - exponent) i.e right shift
+        let shift = 8 * (3 - exponent);
+        target = shr(target, shift);
+    } else {
+        let shift = 8 * (exponent - 3);
+        target = shl(target, shift);
+    }
+
+    // Ensure the target doesn't exceed the maximum allowed value
+    if target > MAX_TARGET {
+        return Result::Err('Target exceeds maximum');
+    }
+
+    Result::Ok(target)
+}
+
+
 pub fn target_to_bits(target: u256) -> Result<u32, felt252> {
     if target == 0 {
         return Result::Err('Target is zero');
diff --git a/tests/tests.cairo b/tests/tests.cairo
index 0646d0a5..c7e52cb8 100644
--- a/tests/tests.cairo
+++ b/tests/tests.cairo
@@ -1,5 +1,81 @@
+use raito::validation::bits_to_target;
 use raito::validation::target_to_bits;
 
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_01003456() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x01003456);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(result.unwrap() == 0x00_u256, "Incorrect target for 0x01003456");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_01123456() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x01123456);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(result.unwrap() == 0x12_u256, "Incorrect target for 0x01123456");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_02008000() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x02008000);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(result.unwrap() == 0x80_u256, "Incorrect target for 0x02008000");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_181bc330() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x181bc330);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(
+        result.unwrap() == 0x1bc330000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_u256,
+        "Incorrect target for 0x181bc330"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_05009234() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x05009234);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(result.unwrap() == 0x92340000_u256, "Incorrect target for 0x05009234");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_04123456() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x04123456);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(result.unwrap() == 0x12345600_u256, "Incorrect target for 0x04123456");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_1d00ffff() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x1d00ffff);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(
+        result.unwrap() == 0x00000000ffff0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_u256,
+        "Incorrect target for 0x1d00ffff"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_1c0d3142() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x1c0d3142);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(
+        result.unwrap() == 0x000000000d314200000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_u256,
+        "Incorrect target for 0x1c0d3142"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_bits_to_target_1707a429() {
+    let result = bits_to_target(0x1707a429);
+    assert!(result.is_ok(), "Should be valid");
+    assert!(
+        result.unwrap() == 0x00000000000000000007a4290000000000000000000000000000000000000000_u256,
+        "Incorrect target for 0x1707a429"
+    );
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_target_to_bits_large_target() {
     let target: u256 = 0x1bc330000000000000000000000000000000000000000000;