diff --git a/src/BIP44CoinTypeNode.test.ts b/src/BIP44CoinTypeNode.test.ts
index cf1a2aed..66b5e302 100644
--- a/src/BIP44CoinTypeNode.test.ts
+++ b/src/BIP44CoinTypeNode.test.ts
@@ -113,9 +113,7 @@ describe('BIP44CoinTypeNode', () => {
       for (const input of inputs) {
         await expect(
           BIP44CoinTypeNode.fromJSON(input as any, arbitraryCoinType),
-        ).rejects.toThrow(
-          'Invalid value: Must be a non-zero 32-byte byte array.',
-        );
+        ).rejects.toThrow('Invalid value: Must be a 32-byte byte array.');
       }
 
       await expect(
diff --git a/src/SLIP10Node.test.ts b/src/SLIP10Node.test.ts
index 64318a7a..83eee137 100644
--- a/src/SLIP10Node.test.ts
+++ b/src/SLIP10Node.test.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,21 @@ describe('SLIP10Node', () => {
       expect(node.publicKeyBytes).toHaveLength(33);
     });
 
+    it('initializes a new ed25519 node from a zero private key', async () => {
+      const node = await SLIP10Node.fromExtendedKey({
+        privateKey: new Uint8Array(32).fill(0),
+        chainCode: new Uint8Array(32).fill(1),
+        depth: 0,
+        parentFingerprint: 0,
+        index: 0,
+        curve: 'ed25519',
+      });
+
+      expect(node.depth).toBe(0);
+      expect(node.privateKeyBytes).toStrictEqual(new Uint8Array(32).fill(0));
+      expect(node.publicKeyBytes).toHaveLength(33);
+    });
+
     it('initializes a new node from a public key', async () => {
       const { publicKeyBytes, chainCodeBytes } = await deriveChildKey({
         path: fixtures.local.mnemonic,
@@ -263,6 +278,21 @@ describe('SLIP10Node', () => {
         'Invalid value: Expected an instance of Uint8Array or hexadecimal string.',
       );
     });
+
+    it('throws if the private key is zero for secp256k1', async () => {
+      await expect(
+        SLIP10Node.fromExtendedKey({
+          privateKey: new Uint8Array(32).fill(0),
+          chainCode: new Uint8Array(32).fill(1),
+          depth: 0,
+          parentFingerprint: 0,
+          index: 0,
+          curve: 'secp256k1',
+        }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow(
+        'Invalid private key: Value is not a valid secp256k1 private key.',
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('fromDerivationPath', () => {
diff --git a/src/SLIP10Node.ts b/src/SLIP10Node.ts
index 689808c2..25802cee 100644
--- a/src/SLIP10Node.ts
+++ b/src/SLIP10Node.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { bytesToHex } from '@metamask/utils';
+import { assert, bytesToHex } from '@metamask/utils';
 
 import { BIP44CoinTypeNode } from './BIP44CoinTypeNode';
 import { BIP44Node } from './BIP44Node';
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { deriveKeyFromPath } from './derivation';
 import { publicKeyToEthAddress } from './derivers/bip32';
 import {
   getBytes,
+  getBytesUnsafe,
   getFingerprint,
   isValidInteger,
   validateBIP32Index,
@@ -162,8 +163,14 @@ export class SLIP10Node implements SLIP10NodeInterface {
     validateBIP32Index(index);
     validateParentFingerprint(parentFingerprint);
 
+    const curveObject = getCurveByName(curve);
+
     if (privateKey) {
-      const privateKeyBytes = getBytes(privateKey, BYTES_KEY_LENGTH);
+      const privateKeyBytes = getBytesUnsafe(privateKey, BYTES_KEY_LENGTH);
+      assert(
+        curveObject.isValidPrivateKey(privateKeyBytes),
+        `Invalid private key: Value is not a valid ${curve} private key.`,
+      );
 
       return new SLIP10Node({
         depth,
@@ -172,16 +179,13 @@ export class SLIP10Node implements SLIP10NodeInterface {
         index,
         chainCode: chainCodeBytes,
         privateKey: privateKeyBytes,
-        publicKey: await getCurveByName(curve).getPublicKey(privateKeyBytes),
+        publicKey: await curveObject.getPublicKey(privateKeyBytes),
         curve,
       });
     }
 
     if (publicKey) {
-      const publicKeyBytes = getBytes(
-        publicKey,
-        getCurveByName(curve).publicKeyLength,
-      );
+      const publicKeyBytes = getBytes(publicKey, curveObject.publicKeyLength);
 
       return new SLIP10Node({
         depth,
diff --git a/src/utils.test.ts b/src/utils.test.ts
index e93ec41b..3bed2831 100644
--- a/src/utils.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
   encodeBase58check,
   decodeBase58check,
   mnemonicPhraseToBytes,
+  getBytesUnsafe,
 } from './utils';
 
 // Inputs used for testing non-negative integers
@@ -308,6 +309,54 @@ describe('getBytes', () => {
       'Invalid value: Must be a non-zero 1-byte byte array.',
     );
   });
+
+  it('throws if the value is zero', () => {
+    expect(() => getBytes('0x00', 1)).toThrow(
+      'Invalid value: Must be a non-zero 1-byte byte array.',
+    );
+
+    expect(() => getBytes(new Uint8Array(1).fill(0), 1)).toThrow(
+      'Invalid value: Must be a non-zero 1-byte byte array.',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('throws if the value is not a Uint8Array or a hexadecimal string', () => {
+    expect(() => getBytes(1, 1)).toThrow(
+      'Invalid value: Expected an instance of Uint8Array or hexadecimal string.',
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+describe('getBytesUnsafe', () => {
+  it('returns a Uint8Array for a hexadecimal string', () => {
+    expect(getBytesUnsafe('0x1234', 2)).toStrictEqual(hexStringToBytes('1234'));
+    expect(getBytesUnsafe('1234', 2)).toStrictEqual(hexStringToBytes('1234'));
+    expect(getBytesUnsafe('0000', 2)).toStrictEqual(hexStringToBytes('0000'));
+  });
+
+  it('returns the same Uint8Array if a Uint8Array is passed', () => {
+    const bytes = hexStringToBytes('1234');
+    expect(getBytesUnsafe(bytes, 2)).toBe(bytes);
+
+    const zeroBytes = hexStringToBytes('0000');
+    expect(getBytesUnsafe(zeroBytes, 2)).toBe(zeroBytes);
+  });
+
+  it('throws if the length is invalid', () => {
+    expect(() => getBytesUnsafe('1234', 1)).toThrow(
+      'Invalid value: Must be a 1-byte byte array.',
+    );
+
+    expect(() => getBytesUnsafe(hexStringToBytes('1234'), 1)).toThrow(
+      'Invalid value: Must be a 1-byte byte array.',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('throws if the value is not a Uint8Array or a hexadecimal string', () => {
+    expect(() => getBytesUnsafe(1, 1)).toThrow(
+      'Invalid value: Expected an instance of Uint8Array or hexadecimal string.',
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 describe('encodeBase58Check', () => {
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 4e513e6a..70b7b11b 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -275,6 +275,35 @@ export function getBytes(value: unknown, length: number): Uint8Array {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get a `Uint8Array` from a hexadecimal string or `Uint8Array`. Validates that
+ * the length of the `Uint8Array` matches the specified length.
+ *
+ * This function is "unsafe," in the sense that it does not validate that the
+ * `Uint8Array` is not empty (i.e., all bytes are zero).
+ *
+ * @param value - The value to convert to a `Uint8Array`.
+ * @param length - The length to validate the `Uint8Array` against.
+ * @returns The `Uint8Array` corresponding to the hexadecimal string.
+ */
+export function getBytesUnsafe(value: unknown, length: number): Uint8Array {
+  if (value instanceof Uint8Array) {
+    assert(
+      value.length === length,
+      `Invalid value: Must be a ${length}-byte byte array.`,
+    );
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  if (typeof value === 'string') {
+    return getBytesUnsafe(hexToBytes(value), length);
+  }
+
+  throw new Error(
+    `Invalid value: Expected an instance of Uint8Array or hexadecimal string.`,
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Validate that the specified `Uint8Array` is not empty and has the specified
  * length.