diff --git a/src/main/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/validation/Validation.java b/src/main/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/validation/Validation.java
index 4165609..42efa72 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/validation/Validation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/validation/Validation.java
@@ -36,10 +36,32 @@ private static void validateRun(Runnable runnable, String message) throws Illega
         }
     }
 
+    @Deprecated
     public static void validate(VerifiableCredential verifiableCredential) throws IllegalStateException {
+        validateJsonLd(verifiableCredential);
+    }
+
+    @Deprecated
+    public static void validate(VerifiablePresentation verifiablePresentation) throws IllegalStateException {
+        validateJsonLd(verifiablePresentation);
+    }
+
+    public static void validateJsonLd(VerifiableCredential verifiableCredential) throws IllegalStateException {
 
         foundation.identity.jsonld.validation.Validation.validate(verifiableCredential);
 
+        validateJson(verifiableCredential);
+    }
+
+    public static void validateJsonLd(VerifiablePresentation verifiablePresentation) throws IllegalStateException {
+
+        foundation.identity.jsonld.validation.Validation.validate(verifiablePresentation);
+
+        validateJson(verifiablePresentation);
+    }
+
+    public static void validateJson(VerifiableCredential verifiableCredential) throws IllegalStateException {
+
         validateRun(() -> { validateTrue(verifiableCredential.getJsonObject() != null); }, "Bad or missing JSON object.");
         validateRun(() -> { validateTrue(verifiableCredential.getContexts().size() > 0); }, "Bad or missing '@context'.");
         validateRun(() -> { validateUrl(verifiableCredential.getContexts().get(0)); }, "@context must be a valid URI: " + verifiableCredential.getContexts().get(0));
@@ -56,9 +78,7 @@ public static void validate(VerifiableCredential verifiableCredential) throws Il
         validateRun(() -> { validateTrue(verifiableCredential.getCredentialSubject() != null); }, "Bad or missing 'credentialSubject'.");
     }
 
-    public static void validate(VerifiablePresentation verifiablePresentation) throws IllegalStateException {
-
-        foundation.identity.jsonld.validation.Validation.validate(verifiablePresentation);
+    public static void validateJson(VerifiablePresentation verifiablePresentation) throws IllegalStateException {
 
         validateRun(() -> { validateTrue(verifiablePresentation.getJsonObject() != null); }, "Bad or missing JSON object.");
         validateRun(() -> { validateTrue(verifiablePresentation.getContexts().size() > 0); }, "Bad or missing '@context'.");
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/SignCredentialTest.java b/src/test/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/SignCredentialTest.java
index 6b5d0a1..043480f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/SignCredentialTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/SignCredentialTest.java
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@
 public class SignCredentialTest {
 
 	@Test
-	void testSign() throws Throwable {
+	void testSignJsonLd() throws Throwable {
 
-		VerifiableCredential verifiableCredential = VerifiableCredential.fromJson(new InputStreamReader(VerifyCredentialTest.class.getResourceAsStream("input.vc.jsonld")));
+		VerifiableCredential verifiableCredential = VerifiableCredential.fromJson(
+				new InputStreamReader(getClass().getResourceAsStream("input.vc.jsonld")));
 
 		URI verificationMethod = URI.create("did:sov:1yvXbmgPoUm4dl66D7KhyD#keys-1");
 		Date created = JsonLDUtils.DATE_FORMAT.parse("2018-01-01T21:19:10Z");
@@ -41,7 +42,39 @@ void testSign() throws Throwable {
 		assertEquals(nonce, ldProof.getNonce());
 		assertEquals("eyJiNjQiOmZhbHNlLCJjcml0IjpbImI2NCJdLCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiJ9..Sn-LB5t_x-kh9mUDq1DaS1GScj3PY_2fMnNnhq09x-ZBf6_EzYfvgFOpEvdLUwxkJiEt7B2x-LGg7bp-o7UEGCbIxWdGUTG7BGAsKsU18hUwOHrVNZ6VHovbxeFgK0iNMn0MObDiGdQbYMG8C71m3AvquUP00-2UiDcqNxmGAYg5tHv7SHXLEgvaz7SnIkBklj1yj_TMXreSGa_okbXFYxh7SkMfFcxHbBFShr0Fzd8DTn8tr_WvPHR7Tx3bkJHmqFx9Wo-0e7FkLeICsgmBKa5Hzz-y_1yEQPsDaZRRsbXfBD4krL7WTplJtAwnQ5Sy-L9cwZzNhCQC6KsggGjTgQ", ldProof.getJws());
 
-		Validation.validate(verifiableCredential);
+		Validation.validateJsonLd(verifiableCredential);
+
+		RsaSignature2018LdVerifier verifier = new RsaSignature2018LdVerifier(TestUtil.testRSAPublicKey);
+		boolean verify = verifier.verify(verifiableCredential);
+		assertTrue(verify);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void testSignJson() throws Throwable {
+
+		VerifiableCredential verifiableCredential = VerifiableCredential.fromJson(
+				new InputStreamReader(getClass().getResourceAsStream("input.vc.json")));
+
+		URI verificationMethod = URI.create("did:sov:1yvXbmgPoUm4dl66D7KhyD#keys-1");
+		Date created = JsonLDUtils.DATE_FORMAT.parse("2018-01-01T21:19:10Z");
+		String domain = null;
+		String nonce = "c0ae1c8e-c7e7-469f-b252-86e6a0e7387e";
+
+		RsaSignature2018LdSigner signer = new RsaSignature2018LdSigner(TestUtil.testRSAPrivateKey);
+		signer.setVerificationMethod(verificationMethod);
+		signer.setCreated(created);
+		signer.setDomain(domain);
+		signer.setNonce(nonce);
+		LdProof ldProof = signer.sign(verifiableCredential, true, false);
+
+		assertEquals(SignatureSuites.SIGNATURE_SUITE_RSASIGNATURE2018.getTerm(), ldProof.getType());
+		assertEquals(verificationMethod, ldProof.getVerificationMethod());
+		assertEquals(created, ldProof.getCreated());
+		assertEquals(domain, ldProof.getDomain());
+		assertEquals(nonce, ldProof.getNonce());
+		assertEquals("eyJiNjQiOmZhbHNlLCJjcml0IjpbImI2NCJdLCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiJ9..GZYi1V8tbMLl5rLIZarlj-aX3KDTTqFJFtQr-2cV910J6embA7_fQPalX3pZLzld9mQ0SdJq2hlxWpMzujXKOElfWidtxJzOyp93ZsSbrtfj7fGSV_CYOSfQ7A8n3SR4O3pp6ja4vmDmBhP95oJXh_BVTbtqvU7e-_GngC2B9uoBr4JJd2mxsOu2_97u_-scPWv9xUIm5rFTGfLz5sUGbMihY96fywSATn9mD5aLDql2thHnrkfYHgsxAqQDV-gcvlZHw5-TtxN-NnG3DD5K_mugmlV3x10ZGLC5QCw0q83LGVi7NmBMShALOFtcO5CourGDSmc1jL9qA95GXMH_dA", ldProof.getJws());
+
+		Validation.validateJson(verifiableCredential);
 
 		RsaSignature2018LdVerifier verifier = new RsaSignature2018LdVerifier(TestUtil.testRSAPublicKey);
 		boolean verify = verifier.verify(verifiableCredential);
diff --git a/src/test/resources/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/input.vc.json b/src/test/resources/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/input.vc.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2de90d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/com/danubetech/verifiablecredentials/input.vc.json
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+	"@context": [
+		"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"
+	],
+	"id": "http://example.edu/credentials/1872",
+	"type": ["VerifiableCredential", "UniversityDegreeCredential"],
+	"issuer": "https://example.edu/issuers/565049",
+	"issuanceDate": "2010-01-01T19:73:24Z",
+	"credentialSubject": {
+		"id": "did:example:ebfeb1f712ebc6f1c276e12ec21",
+		"givenName": "Manu",
+		"familyName": "Sporny",
+		"college": {
+			"id": "did:example:c276e12ec21ebfeb1f712ebc6f1"
+		}
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file