diff --git a/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1272-ed25519-debug.md b/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1272-ed25519-debug.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af8ed5239
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1272-ed25519-debug.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- `[tendermint]` Restore hex-formatting in debug output of Ed25519 keys.
+  ([#1272](https://github.com/informalsystems/tendermint-rs/pull/1272))
diff --git a/tendermint/src/crypto/ed25519/verification_key.rs b/tendermint/src/crypto/ed25519/verification_key.rs
index 52cc49dd2..305614f07 100644
--- a/tendermint/src/crypto/ed25519/verification_key.rs
+++ b/tendermint/src/crypto/ed25519/verification_key.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,23 @@
 use crate::Error;
 
-#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct VerificationKey([u8; 32]);
 
+impl core::fmt::Display for VerificationKey {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut core::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> core::fmt::Result {
+        for byte in &self.0 {
+            write!(f, "{byte:02x}")?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl core::fmt::Debug for VerificationKey {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut core::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> core::fmt::Result {
+        <Self as core::fmt::Display>::fmt(self, f)
+    }
+}
+
 impl VerificationKey {
     #[allow(dead_code)]
     pub(super) fn new(bytes: [u8; 32]) -> Self {