diff --git a/pkg/cicnet/cicnet.go b/pkg/cicnet/cicnet.go
index c91d37a..0161c64 100644
--- a/pkg/cicnet/cicnet.go
+++ b/pkg/cicnet/cicnet.go
@@ -10,13 +10,16 @@ type CicNet struct {
 	tokenIndex common.Address
 }
 
-func NewCicNet(rpcEndpoint string, tokenIndex common.Address) *CicNet {
-	ethClient := w3.MustDial(rpcEndpoint)
+func NewCicNet(rpcEndpoint string, tokenIndex common.Address) (*CicNet, error) {
+	ethClient, err := w3.Dial(rpcEndpoint)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	return &CicNet{
 		ethClient:  ethClient,
 		tokenIndex: tokenIndex,
-	}
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (c *CicNet) Close() error {
diff --git a/pkg/cicnet/token_index.go b/pkg/cicnet/token_index.go
index 7d139cb..c598b42 100644
--- a/pkg/cicnet/token_index.go
+++ b/pkg/cicnet/token_index.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/lmittmann/w3"
 	"github.com/lmittmann/w3/module/eth"
 	"math/big"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 func (c *CicNet) EntryCount(ctx context.Context) (big.Int, error) {
@@ -34,6 +33,5 @@ func (c *CicNet) AddressAtIndex(ctx context.Context, index *big.Int) (string, er
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	// strip 0x at pkg level
-	return strings.Trim(address.String(), "0x"), nil
+	return address.String(), nil
 }