diff --git a/rpc/api.go b/rpc/api.go
index 6f3e78cc0b1f12a509a9b4c2bbc41b081d429051..aba47eee25a5e0a6b6eab966dd06c3ceeaf5b292 100644
--- a/rpc/api.go
+++ b/rpc/api.go
@@ -94,11 +94,7 @@ func (api *EthereumApi) GetRequestReply(req *RpcRequest, reply *interface{}) err
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if err := args.requirements(); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		v := api.xethAtStateNum(args.BlockNumber).State().SafeGet(args.Address).Balance()
+		v := api.xethAtStateNum(args.BlockNumber).State().SafeGet(args.Address.Hex()).Balance()
 		*reply = common.ToHex(v.Bytes())
 	case "eth_getStorage", "eth_storageAt":
 		args := new(GetStorageArgs)
diff --git a/rpc/args.go b/rpc/args.go
index 93af3258ff658a7ee20a8c56b6b6f1783a697876..81343dd018c2d01bfa72f40a090da8cf0153af62 100644
--- a/rpc/args.go
+++ b/rpc/args.go
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ func (args *GetTxCountArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 }
 
 type GetBalanceArgs struct {
-	Address     string
+	Address     common.Address
 	BlockNumber int64
 }
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func (args *GetBalanceArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 	if !ok {
 		return NewDecodeParamError("Address is not a string")
 	}
-	args.Address = addstr
+	args.Address = common.HexToAddress(addstr)
 
 	if len(obj) > 1 {
 		if err := blockHeight(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
@@ -280,13 +280,6 @@ func (args *GetBalanceArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (args *GetBalanceArgs) requirements() error {
-	if len(args.Address) == 0 {
-		return NewValidationError("Address", "cannot be blank")
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 type GetDataArgs struct {
 	Address     string
 	BlockNumber int64
diff --git a/rpc/args_test.go b/rpc/args_test.go
index e13549d0009fc065b3df4be34996a24ae8b55eb3..4792f4f889329ca301e9652d53a051e93d7848ee 100644
--- a/rpc/args_test.go
+++ b/rpc/args_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func TestSha3(t *testing.T) {
 func TestGetBalanceArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	input := `["0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1", "0x1f"]`
 	expected := new(GetBalanceArgs)
-	expected.Address = "0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1"
+	expected.Address = common.HexToAddress("0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1")
 	expected.BlockNumber = 31
 
 	args := new(GetBalanceArgs)
@@ -32,10 +32,6 @@ func TestGetBalanceArgs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := args.requirements(); err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-
 	if args.Address != expected.Address {
 		t.Errorf("Address should be %v but is %v", expected.Address, args.Address)
 	}
@@ -48,7 +44,7 @@ func TestGetBalanceArgs(t *testing.T) {
 func TestGetBalanceArgsLatest(t *testing.T) {
 	input := `["0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1", "latest"]`
 	expected := new(GetBalanceArgs)
-	expected.Address = "0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1"
+	expected.Address = common.HexToAddress("0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1")
 	expected.BlockNumber = -1
 
 	args := new(GetBalanceArgs)
@@ -56,10 +52,6 @@ func TestGetBalanceArgsLatest(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := args.requirements(); err != nil {
-		t.Error(err)
-	}
-
 	if args.Address != expected.Address {
 		t.Errorf("Address should be %v but is %v", expected.Address, args.Address)
 	}
@@ -69,15 +61,64 @@ func TestGetBalanceArgsLatest(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestGetBalanceEmptyArgs(t *testing.T) {
+func TestGetBalanceArgsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 	input := `[]`
 
 	args := new(GetBalanceArgs)
 	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &args)
-	if err == nil {
+	switch err.(type) {
+	case nil:
 		t.Error("Expected error but didn't get one")
+	case *InsufficientParamsError:
+		break
+	default:
+		t.Errorf("Expected *rpc.InsufficientParamsError but got %T with message %s", err, err.Error())
 	}
+}
 
+func TestGetBalanceArgsInvalid(t *testing.T) {
+	input := `6`
+
+	args := new(GetBalanceArgs)
+	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &args)
+	switch err.(type) {
+	case nil:
+		t.Error("Expected error but didn't get one")
+	case *DecodeParamError:
+		break
+	default:
+		t.Errorf("Expected *rpc.DecodeParamError but got %T with message %s", err, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetBalanceArgsBlockInvalid(t *testing.T) {
+	input := `["0x407d73d8a49eeb85d32cf465507dd71d507100c1", false]`
+
+	args := new(GetBalanceArgs)
+	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &args)
+	switch err.(type) {
+	case nil:
+		t.Error("Expected error but didn't get one")
+	case *DecodeParamError:
+		break
+	default:
+		t.Errorf("Expected *rpc.DecodeParamError but got %T with message %s", err, err.Error())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetBalanceArgsAddressInvalid(t *testing.T) {
+	input := `[-9, "latest"]`
+
+	args := new(GetBalanceArgs)
+	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &args)
+	switch err.(type) {
+	case nil:
+		t.Error("Expected error but didn't get one")
+	case *DecodeParamError:
+		break
+	default:
+		t.Errorf("Expected *rpc.DecodeParamError but got %T with message %s", err, err.Error())
+	}
 }
 
 func TestGetBlockByHashArgs(t *testing.T) {