diff --git a/bfa_client/src/bfa/node.go b/bfa_client/src/bfa/node.go
index 6d11f47e7ea6385d157f8b7d49c3a26a14412e71..c0b66fe304321761d796392aeaf22f71e0125bce 100644
--- a/bfa_client/src/bfa/node.go
+++ b/bfa_client/src/bfa/node.go
@@ -259,13 +259,13 @@ func (node *Node) PeerCount() uint64 {
 	return uint64(peerCount)
 }
 
-func (node *Node) BalanceAtBlock(account string, blockNumber int64) *big.Int {
+func (node *Node) BalanceAtBlock(account common.Address, blockNumber int64) *big.Int {
 	var balance BigInt
 	node.Call(&balance, "eth_getBalance", account, hexBlockNumber(blockNumber))
 	return (*big.Int)(&balance)
 }
 
-func (node *Node) Balance(account string) *big.Int {
+func (node *Node) Balance(account common.Address) *big.Int {
 	return node.BalanceAtBlock(account, -1)
 }
 
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ func (node *Node) SealersStatus(blockNumber int64) (status map[string]*SealerSta
 	status = make(map[string]*SealerStatus)
 	for _, address := range node.SealersAtBlock(blockNumber) {
 		status[address] = &SealerStatus{
-			Balance: node.BalanceAtBlock(address, blockNumber),
+			Balance: node.BalanceAtBlock(common.HexToAddress(address), blockNumber),
 		}
 	}
 	notSeen := int64(len(status))
diff --git a/bfa_client/src/client/bfa_client.go b/bfa_client/src/client/bfa_client.go
index 68429b3bbcbdf92c7c15f9d254f0ecb659e56c14..f3f25ace7e062c969343a22e01d80f52332cb68c 100644
--- a/bfa_client/src/client/bfa_client.go
+++ b/bfa_client/src/client/bfa_client.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"../util"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"log"
 	"math/big"
 	"os"
@@ -380,7 +381,7 @@ func status() {
 	util.Check(err)
 	defer node.Close()
 	for _, account := range node.Accounts() {
-		nodeStatus.Accounts[account] = node.Balance(account)
+		nodeStatus.Accounts[account] = node.Balance(common.HexToAddress(account))
 	}
 	nodeStatus.Coinbase, _ = node.Coinbase()
 	nodeStatus.BlockNumber = node.BlockNumber()