diff --git a/shared/src/ledger/native_vp.rs b/shared/src/ledger/native_vp.rs
index 1f83f42c42..e4ef2ce651 100644
--- a/shared/src/ledger/native_vp.rs
+++ b/shared/src/ledger/native_vp.rs
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ where
     }
 
     fn get_native_token(&self) -> Result<Address, storage_api::Error> {
-        Ok(self.ctx.storage.native_token.clone())
+        self.ctx.get_native_token()
     }
 }
 
@@ -387,6 +387,14 @@ where
             .into_storage_result()
     }
 
+    fn get_native_token(&'view self) -> Result<Address, storage_api::Error> {
+        vp_env::get_native_token(
+            &mut *self.gas_meter.borrow_mut(),
+            self.storage,
+        )
+        .into_storage_result()
+    }
+
     fn iter_prefix(
         &'view self,
         prefix: &Key,
diff --git a/shared/src/ledger/vp_env.rs b/shared/src/ledger/vp_env.rs
index 0172f986c5..fab888b9a3 100644
--- a/shared/src/ledger/vp_env.rs
+++ b/shared/src/ledger/vp_env.rs
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ pub trait VpEnv<'view> {
     /// current transaction is being applied.
     fn get_block_epoch(&'view self) -> Result<Epoch, storage_api::Error>;
 
+    /// Get the address of the native token.
+    fn get_native_token(&'view self) -> Result<Address, storage_api::Error>;
+
     /// Storage prefix iterator, ordered by storage keys. It will try to get an
     /// iterator from the storage.
     fn iter_prefix(
diff --git a/shared/src/vm/host_env.rs b/shared/src/vm/host_env.rs
index cf522b786c..47eba121e8 100644
--- a/shared/src/vm/host_env.rs
+++ b/shared/src/vm/host_env.rs
@@ -1569,10 +1569,10 @@ where
     let storage = unsafe { env.ctx.storage.get() };
     tx_add_gas(env, MIN_STORAGE_GAS)?;
     let native_token = storage.native_token.clone();
-    let native_token_bytes = native_token.try_to_vec().unwrap();
+    let native_token_string = native_token.encode();
     let gas = env
         .memory
-        .write_bytes(result_ptr, native_token_bytes)
+        .write_string(result_ptr, native_token_string)
         .map_err(|e| TxRuntimeError::MemoryError(Box::new(e)))?;
     tx_add_gas(env, gas)
 }
@@ -1841,10 +1841,10 @@ where
     let gas_meter = unsafe { env.ctx.gas_meter.get() };
     let storage = unsafe { env.ctx.storage.get() };
     let native_token = vp_env::get_native_token(gas_meter, storage)?;
-    let native_token_bytes = native_token.try_to_vec().unwrap();
+    let native_token_string = native_token.encode();
     let gas = env
         .memory
-        .write_bytes(result_ptr, native_token_bytes)
+        .write_string(result_ptr, native_token_string)
         .map_err(|e| vp_env::RuntimeError::MemoryError(Box::new(e)))?;
     vp_env::add_gas(gas_meter, gas)
 }
diff --git a/tests/src/vm_host_env/mod.rs b/tests/src/vm_host_env/mod.rs
index 3325c6eb6a..75c27f649f 100644
--- a/tests/src/vm_host_env/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/src/vm_host_env/mod.rs
@@ -260,6 +260,10 @@ mod tests {
             tx::ctx().get_block_epoch().unwrap(),
             tx_host_env::with(|env| env.storage.get_current_epoch().0)
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            tx::ctx().get_native_token().unwrap(),
+            tx_host_env::with(|env| env.storage.native_token.clone())
+        );
     }
 
     /// An example how to write a VP host environment integration test
@@ -510,6 +514,10 @@ mod tests {
             vp::CTX.get_block_epoch().unwrap(),
             vp_host_env::with(|env| env.storage.get_current_epoch().0)
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            vp::CTX.get_native_token().unwrap(),
+            vp_host_env::with(|env| env.storage.native_token.clone())
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/tx_prelude/src/lib.rs b/tx_prelude/src/lib.rs
index 3909793f6f..209c8e132f 100644
--- a/tx_prelude/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tx_prelude/src/lib.rs
@@ -177,8 +177,9 @@ impl StorageRead<'_> for Ctx {
         let slice = unsafe {
             slice::from_raw_parts(result.as_ptr(), address::ADDRESS_LEN)
         };
-        Ok(Address::try_from_slice(slice)
-            .expect("Cannot decode native address"))
+        let address_str =
+            std::str::from_utf8(slice).expect("Cannot decode native address");
+        Ok(Address::decode(address_str).expect("Cannot decode native address"))
     }
 
     fn iter_prefix(
diff --git a/vp_prelude/src/lib.rs b/vp_prelude/src/lib.rs
index a302bb5ac3..14fef3133c 100644
--- a/vp_prelude/src/lib.rs
+++ b/vp_prelude/src/lib.rs
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ impl<'view> VpEnv<'view> for Ctx {
         get_block_epoch()
     }
 
+    fn get_native_token(&'view self) -> Result<Address, Error> {
+        // Both `CtxPreStorageRead` and `CtxPostStorageRead` have the same impl
+        get_native_token()
+    }
+
     fn iter_prefix(
         &self,
         prefix: &storage::Key,
@@ -490,5 +495,7 @@ fn get_native_token() -> Result<Address, Error> {
     }
     let slice =
         unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(result.as_ptr(), address::ADDRESS_LEN) };
-    Ok(Address::try_from_slice(slice).expect("Cannot decode native address"))
+    let address_str =
+        std::str::from_utf8(slice).expect("Cannot decode native address");
+    Ok(Address::decode(address_str).expect("Cannot decode native address"))
 }