diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 307076742..afc3948e9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # Decentralized Web Node (DWN) SDK
 
 Code Coverage
-![Statements](https://img.shields.io/badge/statements-94.36%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat) ![Branches](https://img.shields.io/badge/branches-94.95%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat) ![Functions](https://img.shields.io/badge/functions-92.3%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat) ![Lines](https://img.shields.io/badge/lines-94.36%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat)
+![Statements](https://img.shields.io/badge/statements-94.58%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat) ![Branches](https://img.shields.io/badge/branches-95.7%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat) ![Functions](https://img.shields.io/badge/functions-92.34%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat) ![Lines](https://img.shields.io/badge/lines-94.58%25-brightgreen.svg?style=flat)
 
 ## Introduction
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6a59a52ab..ad028ab65 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@tbd54566975/dwn-sdk-js",
-  "version": "0.0.22",
+  "version": "0.0.23",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@tbd54566975/dwn-sdk-js",
-      "version": "0.0.22",
+      "version": "0.0.23",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@ipld/dag-cbor": "7.0.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7e842e1f0..05f5cf039 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@tbd54566975/dwn-sdk-js",
-  "version": "0.0.22",
+  "version": "0.0.23",
   "description": "A reference implementation of https://identity.foundation/decentralized-web-node/spec/",
   "type": "module",
   "types": "./dist/esm/src/index.d.ts",
@@ -132,4 +132,4 @@
     "url": "https://github.com/TBD54566975/dwn-sdk-js/issues"
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/TBD54566975/dwn-sdk-js#readme"
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 588669142..302f18585 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export type { HooksWriteMessage } from './interfaces/hooks/types.js';
 export type { ProtocolDefinition, ProtocolRuleSet, ProtocolsConfigureMessage, ProtocolsQueryMessage } from './interfaces/protocols/types.js';
 export type { RecordsDeleteMessage, RecordsQueryMessage, RecordsWriteMessage } from './interfaces/records/types.js';
 export { AllowAllTenantGate, TenantGate } from './core/tenant-gate.js';
+export { Cid } from './utils/cid.js';
 export { DataStore } from './store/data-store.js';
 export { DateSort } from './interfaces/records/messages/records-query.js';
 export { DataStream } from './utils/data-stream.js';
diff --git a/src/interfaces/records/handlers/records-write.ts b/src/interfaces/records/handlers/records-write.ts
index cd706a2f7..3131df73d 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/records/handlers/records-write.ts
+++ b/src/interfaces/records/handlers/records-write.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export class RecordsWriteHandler implements MethodHandler {
     const newMessageIsInitialWrite = await recordsWrite.isInitialWrite();
     if (!newMessageIsInitialWrite) {
       try {
-        const initialWrite = RecordsWrite.getInitialWrite(existingMessages);
+        const initialWrite = await RecordsWrite.getInitialWrite(existingMessages);
         RecordsWrite.verifyEqualityOfImmutableProperties(initialWrite, incomingMessage);
       } catch (e) {
         return new MessageReply({
diff --git a/src/interfaces/records/messages/records-write.ts b/src/interfaces/records/messages/records-write.ts
index ffba7a805..7a5397484 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/records/messages/records-write.ts
+++ b/src/interfaces/records/messages/records-write.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { ProtocolAuthorization } from '../../../core/protocol-authorization.js';
 import { removeUndefinedProperties } from '../../../utils/object.js';
 
 import { authorize, validateAuthorizationIntegrity } from '../../../core/auth.js';
-import { computeCid, computeDagPbCid } from '../../../utils/cid.js';
+import { Cid, computeCid } from '../../../utils/cid.js';
 import { DwnInterfaceName, DwnMethodName } from '../../../core/message.js';
 import { GeneralJws, SignatureInput } from '../../../jose/jws/general/types.js';
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export class RecordsWrite extends Message {
   /**
    * Creates a RecordsWrite message.
    * @param options.recordId If `undefined`, will be auto-filled as a originating message as convenience for developer.
-   * @param options.data Readable stream of the data to be stored. Must specify `option.dataCid` if `undefined`.
+   * @param options.data Data used to compute the `dataCid`. Must specify `option.dataCid` if `undefined`.
    * @param options.dataCid CID of the data that is already stored in the DWN. Must specify `option.data` if `undefined`.
    * @param options.dateCreated If `undefined`, it will be auto-filled with current time.
    * @param options.dateModified If `undefined`, it will be auto-filled with current time.
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export class RecordsWrite extends Message {
          options.data !== undefined && options.dataCid !== undefined) {
       throw new Error('one and only one parameter between `data` and `dataCid` is allowed');
     }
-    const dataCid = options.dataCid ?? await computeDagPbCid(options.data);
+    const dataCid = options.dataCid ?? await Cid.computeDagPbCidFromBytes(options.data!);
 
     const descriptor: RecordsWriteDescriptor = {
       interface     : DwnInterfaceName.Records,
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ export class RecordsWrite extends Message {
     // inherit published value from parent if neither published nor datePublished is specified
     const published = options.published ?? (options.datePublished ? true : unsignedMessage.descriptor.published);
     // use current time if published but no explicit time given
-    let datePublished = undefined;
+    let datePublished: string | undefined = undefined;
     // if given explicitly published dated
     if (options.datePublished) {
       datePublished = options.datePublished;
@@ -396,14 +396,14 @@ export class RecordsWrite extends Message {
   /**
    * Gets the initial write from the given list or record write.
    */
-  public static getInitialWrite(messages: BaseMessage[]): RecordsWriteMessage{
+  public static async getInitialWrite(messages: BaseMessage[]): Promise<RecordsWriteMessage>{
     for (const message of messages) {
-      if (RecordsWrite.isInitialWrite(message)) {
+      if (await RecordsWrite.isInitialWrite(message)) {
         return message as RecordsWriteMessage;
       }
     }
 
-    throw new Error(`initial write is not found `);
+    throw new Error(`initial write is not found`);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/utils/cid.ts b/src/utils/cid.ts
index 4607e7a5d..59ac0143d 100644
--- a/src/utils/cid.ts
+++ b/src/utils/cid.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as cbor from '@ipld/dag-cbor';
 
 import { CID } from 'multiformats/cid';
 import { importer } from 'ipfs-unixfs-importer';
+import { Readable } from 'stream';
 import { sha256 } from 'multiformats/hashes/sha2';
 
 // a map of all supported CID hashing algorithms. This map is used to select the appropriate hasher
@@ -16,20 +17,6 @@ const codecs = {
   [cbor.code]: cbor
 };
 
-
-/**
- * @returns V1 CID of the DAG comprised by chunking data into unixfs dag-pb encoded blocks
- */
-export async function computeDagPbCid(content: Uint8Array): Promise<string> {
-  const asyncDataBlocks = importer([{ content }], undefined, { onlyHash: true, cidVersion: 1 });
-
-  // NOTE: the last block contains the root CID
-  let block;
-  for await (block of asyncDataBlocks) { ; }
-
-  return block.cid.toString();
-}
-
 /**
  * Computes a V1 CID for the provided payload
  * @param payload
@@ -71,3 +58,35 @@ export function parseCid(str: string): CID {
 
   return cid;
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * Utility class for creating CIDs. Exported for the convenience of developers.
+ */
+export class Cid {
+  /**
+   * @returns V1 CID of the DAG comprised by chunking data into unixfs DAG-PB encoded blocks
+   */
+  public static async computeDagPbCidFromBytes(content: Uint8Array): Promise<string> {
+    const asyncDataBlocks = importer([{ content }], undefined, { onlyHash: true, cidVersion: 1 });
+
+    // NOTE: the last block contains the root CID
+    let block;
+    for await (block of asyncDataBlocks) { ; }
+
+    return block.cid.toString();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @returns V1 CID of the DAG comprised by chunking data into unixfs DAG-PB encoded blocks
+   */
+  public static async computeDagPbCidFromStream(dataStream: Readable): Promise<string> {
+    const asyncDataBlocks = importer([{ content: dataStream }], undefined, { onlyHash: true, cidVersion: 1 });
+
+    // NOTE: the last block contains the root CID
+    let block;
+    for await (block of asyncDataBlocks) { ; }
+
+    return block.cid.toString();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/utils/cid.spec.ts b/tests/utils/cid.spec.ts
index 06fd4bdda..baae39b3f 100644
--- a/tests/utils/cid.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/utils/cid.spec.ts
@@ -4,20 +4,42 @@ import * as cbor from '@ipld/dag-cbor';
 import chaiAsPromised from 'chai-as-promised';
 import chai, { expect } from 'chai';
 
-import { computeCid } from '../../src/utils/cid.js';
+import { DataStream } from '../../src/index.js';
 import { sha256 } from 'multiformats/hashes/sha2';
 import { TestDataGenerator } from '../utils/test-data-generator.js';
+import { Cid, computeCid, parseCid } from '../../src/utils/cid.js';
 
 // extend chai to test promises
 chai.use(chaiAsPromised);
 
 describe('CID', () => {
+  it('should yield the same CID using either computeDagPbCidFromBytes() & computeDagPbCidFromStream()', async () => {
+    const randomBytes = TestDataGenerator.randomBytes(500_000);
+    const randomByteStream = await DataStream.fromBytes(randomBytes);
+
+    const cid1 = await Cid.computeDagPbCidFromBytes(randomBytes);
+    const cid2 = await Cid.computeDagPbCidFromStream(randomByteStream);
+    expect(cid1).to.equal(cid2);
+  });
+
   describe('computeCid', () => {
-    xit('throws an error if codec is not supported');
-    xit('throws an error if multihasher is not supported');
-    xit('generates a cbor/sha256 v1 cid by default');
+    it('throws an error if codec is not supported', async () => {
+      const anyTestData = {
+        a: TestDataGenerator.randomString(32),
+      };
+      const computeCidPromise = computeCid(anyTestData, 'unknownCodec');
+      await expect(computeCidPromise).to.be.rejectedWith('codec [unknownCodec] not supported');
+    });
 
-    it(' should generate a CBOR SHA256 CID identical to IPFS block encoding algorithm', async () => {
+    it('throws an error if multihasher is not supported', async () => {
+      const anyTestData = {
+        a: TestDataGenerator.randomString(32),
+      };
+      const computeCidPromise = computeCid(anyTestData, '113', 'unknownHashingAlgorithm'); // 113 = CBOR
+      await expect(computeCidPromise).to.be.rejectedWith('multihash code [unknownHashingAlgorithm] not supported');
+    });
+
+    it('should by default generate a CBOR SHA256 CID identical to IPFS block encoding algorithm', async () => {
       const anyTestData = {
         a : TestDataGenerator.randomString(32),
         b : TestDataGenerator.randomString(32),
@@ -49,8 +71,12 @@ describe('CID', () => {
   });
 
   describe('parseCid', () => {
-    xit('throws an error if codec is not supported');
-    xit('throws an error if multihasher is not supported');
-    xit('parses provided str into a V1 cid');
+    it('throws an error if codec is not supported', async () => {
+      expect(() => parseCid('bafybeihzdcfjv55kxiz7sxwxaxbnjgj7rm2amvrxpi67jpwkgygjzoh72y')).to.throw('codec [112] not supported'); // a DAG-PB CID
+    });
+
+    it('throws an error if multihasher is not supported', async () => {
+      expect(() => parseCid('bafy2bzacec2qlo3cohxyaoulipd3hurlq6pspvmpvmnmqsxfg4vbumpq3ufag')).to.throw('multihash code [45600] not supported'); // 45600 = BLAKE2b-256 CID
+    });
   });
 });
\ No newline at end of file