diff --git a/crypto-primitives/Cargo.toml b/crypto-primitives/Cargo.toml
index a3c9bc5..5799c15 100644
--- a/crypto-primitives/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crypto-primitives/Cargo.toml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ ark-serialize = { version = "^0.4.0", default-features = false, features = [ "de
 blake2 = { version = "0.10", default-features = false }
 sha2 = { version = "0.10", default-features = false }
 digest = { version = "0.10", default-features = false }
+merlin = { version = "3.0.0", default-features = false, optional = true }
 
 ark-r1cs-std = { version = "^0.4.0", optional = true, default-features = false }
 ark-snark = { version = "^0.4.0", default-features = false }
@@ -42,8 +43,8 @@ print-trace = [ "ark-std/print-trace" ]
 parallel = [ "std", "rayon", "ark-ec/parallel", "ark-std/parallel", "ark-ff/parallel" ]
 r1cs = [ "ark-r1cs-std", "tracing" ]
 crh = [ "sponge" ]
-sponge = []
-commitment = ["crh"]
+sponge = [ "merlin" ]
+commitment = [ "crh" ]
 merkle_tree = ["crh", "hashbrown"]
 encryption = []
 prf = []
diff --git a/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/constraints.rs b/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/constraints.rs
index aa9fbb8..ccad3a9 100644
--- a/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/constraints.rs
+++ b/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/constraints.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use crate::crh::TwoToOneCRHSchemeGadget;
-use crate::merkle_tree::{Config, IdentityDigestConverter};
+use crate::merkle_tree::Config;
 use crate::{crh::CRHSchemeGadget, merkle_tree::Path};
 use ark_ff::PrimeField;
 use ark_r1cs_std::prelude::*;
@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@ use ark_std::fmt::Debug;
 #[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
 use ark_std::vec::Vec;
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use crate::merkle_tree::IdentityDigestConverter;
+
 pub trait DigestVarConverter<From, To: ?Sized> {
     type TargetType: Borrow<To>;
     fn convert(from: From) -> Result<Self::TargetType, SynthesisError>;
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
 impl<T> DigestVarConverter<T, T> for IdentityDigestConverter<T> {
     type TargetType = T;
 
diff --git a/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/mod.rs b/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/mod.rs
index 5a7e493..14b9671 100644
--- a/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/mod.rs
+++ b/crypto-primitives/src/merkle_tree/mod.rs
@@ -49,10 +49,12 @@ pub trait DigestConverter<From, To: ?Sized> {
 }
 
 /// A trivial converter where digest of previous layer's hash is the same as next layer's input.
+#[cfg(test)]
 pub struct IdentityDigestConverter<T> {
     _prev_layer_digest: T,
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
 impl<T> DigestConverter<T, T> for IdentityDigestConverter<T> {
     type TargetType = T;
     fn convert(item: T) -> Result<T, Error> {
diff --git a/crypto-primitives/src/sponge/merlin/mod.rs b/crypto-primitives/src/sponge/merlin/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47906de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crypto-primitives/src/sponge/merlin/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+use crate::sponge::{Absorb, CryptographicSponge};
+#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+use ark_std::vec::Vec;
+pub use merlin::Transcript;
+
+impl CryptographicSponge for Transcript {
+    type Config = &'static [u8];
+
+    fn new(params: &Self::Config) -> Self {
+        Transcript::new(*params)
+    }
+
+    fn absorb(&mut self, input: &impl Absorb) {
+        self.append_message(b"", &input.to_sponge_bytes_as_vec());
+    }
+
+    fn squeeze_bytes(&mut self, num_bytes: usize) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let mut dest = vec![0; num_bytes];
+        self.challenge_bytes(b"", &mut dest);
+        dest
+    }
+
+    fn squeeze_bits(&mut self, num_bits: usize) -> Vec<bool> {
+        let num_bytes = (num_bits + 7) / 8;
+        let mut tmp = vec![0; num_bytes];
+        self.challenge_bytes(b"", &mut tmp);
+        let dest = tmp
+            .iter()
+            .flat_map(|byte| (0..8u32).rev().map(move |i| (byte >> i) & 1 == 1))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        dest[..num_bits].to_vec()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crypto-primitives/src/sponge/mod.rs b/crypto-primitives/src/sponge/mod.rs
index 2356f16..47a2c20 100644
--- a/crypto-primitives/src/sponge/mod.rs
+++ b/crypto-primitives/src/sponge/mod.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ pub use absorb::*;
 /// [cos]: https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/1076
 pub mod poseidon;
 
+/// The sponge for [Merlin][merlin]
+///
+/// [merlin]: https://merlin.cool/
+pub mod merlin;
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test;