diff --git a/bin/darkirc/src/rln.rs b/bin/darkirc/src/rln.rs
index 5089d430e..68716e1df 100644
--- a/bin/darkirc/src/rln.rs
+++ b/bin/darkirc/src/rln.rs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ impl Rln {
 
         if !identities.contains_key(b"identity_tree")? {
             info!("Creating RLN membership tree");
-            let membership_tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+            let membership_tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
             identities.insert(b"identity_tree", serialize_async(&membership_tree).await)?;
         }
 
diff --git a/bin/drk/src/dao.rs b/bin/drk/src/dao.rs
index 1c70fa2f1..ed9a5c805 100644
--- a/bin/drk/src/dao.rs
+++ b/bin/drk/src/dao.rs
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ impl Drk {
             .is_err()
         {
             println!("Initializing DAO Merkle trees");
-            let tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+            let tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
             self.put_dao_trees(&tree, &tree).await?;
             println!("Successfully initialized Merkle trees for the DAO contract");
         }
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ impl Drk {
     /// Reset the DAO Merkle trees in the wallet.
     pub async fn reset_dao_trees(&self) -> WalletDbResult<()> {
         println!("Resetting DAO Merkle trees");
-        let tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+        let tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
         self.put_dao_trees(&tree, &tree).await?;
         println!("Successfully reset DAO Merkle trees");
 
diff --git a/bin/drk/src/money.rs b/bin/drk/src/money.rs
index 08474c997..d504735d5 100644
--- a/bin/drk/src/money.rs
+++ b/bin/drk/src/money.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ impl Drk {
         // we should actually check it.
         if self.get_money_tree().await.is_err() {
             println!("Initializing Money Merkle tree");
-            let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+            let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
             tree.append(MerkleNode::from(pallas::Base::ZERO));
             let _ = tree.mark().unwrap();
             self.put_money_tree(&tree).await?;
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ impl Drk {
     /// Reset the Money Merkle tree in the wallet
     pub async fn reset_money_tree(&self) -> WalletDbResult<()> {
         println!("Resetting Money Merkle tree");
-        let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+        let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
         tree.append(MerkleNode::from(pallas::Base::ZERO));
         let _ = tree.mark().unwrap();
         self.put_money_tree(&tree).await?;
diff --git a/example/zk-inclusion-proof.rs b/example/zk-inclusion-proof.rs
index ffbb56d4a..d234a6508 100644
--- a/example/zk-inclusion-proof.rs
+++ b/example/zk-inclusion-proof.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ use halo2_proofs::circuit::Value;
 use rand::rngs::OsRng;
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
-    let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+    let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
 
     // Add 10 random things to the tree
     for _ in 0..10 {
diff --git a/script/research/rln/rlnv1/src/main.rs b/script/research/rln/rlnv1/src/main.rs
index cdfa920f5..267afe365 100644
--- a/script/research/rln/rlnv1/src/main.rs
+++ b/script/research/rln/rlnv1/src/main.rs
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ fn main() {
     // ============
     // Registration
     // ============
-    let mut membership_tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+    let mut membership_tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
     let mut identity_roots: Vec<MerkleNode> = vec![];
     let mut banned_roots: Vec<MerkleNode> = vec![];
     let mut identities = HashMap::new();
diff --git a/script/research/rln/rlnv2/src/main.rs b/script/research/rln/rlnv2/src/main.rs
index a0fd3a02b..0140b0d52 100644
--- a/script/research/rln/rlnv2/src/main.rs
+++ b/script/research/rln/rlnv2/src/main.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ fn hash_message(msg: &str) -> pallas::Base {
 fn main() {
     // There exists a Merkle tree of identity commitments that serves
     // as the user registry.
-    let mut membership_tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+    let mut membership_tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
     // Since bridgetree is append-only, we'll maintain a BTreeMap of all the
     // identity commitments in their indexes and whenever some idenity is banned
     // we'll zero out that leaf and rebuild the bridgetree from the BTreeMap.
diff --git a/src/contract/dao/src/entrypoint/mod.rs b/src/contract/dao/src/entrypoint/mod.rs
index 4f680c2a7..00150eeb6 100644
--- a/src/contract/dao/src/entrypoint/mod.rs
+++ b/src/contract/dao/src/entrypoint/mod.rs
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ fn init_contract(cid: ContractId, _ix: &[u8]) -> ContractResult {
         }
         None => {
             // We didn't find a tree, so just make a new one.
-            let tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+            let tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
 
             let mut tree_data = vec![];
             tree_data.write_u32(0)?;
diff --git a/src/contract/money/src/entrypoint.rs b/src/contract/money/src/entrypoint.rs
index d7637ac41..cacb10c3f 100644
--- a/src/contract/money/src/entrypoint.rs
+++ b/src/contract/money/src/entrypoint.rs
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ fn init_contract(cid: ContractId, _ix: &[u8]) -> ContractResult {
 
             // Create the incrementalmerkletree for seen coins and initialize
             // it with a "fake" coin that can be used for dummy inputs.
-            let mut coin_tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+            let mut coin_tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
             coin_tree.append(MerkleNode::from(pallas::Base::ZERO));
             let mut coin_tree_data = vec![];
             coin_tree_data.write_u32(0)?;
diff --git a/src/contract/test-harness/src/lib.rs b/src/contract/test-harness/src/lib.rs
index 6e89fbd11..e3b200523 100644
--- a/src/contract/test-harness/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/contract/test-harness/src/lib.rs
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ impl Wallet {
 
         // The Merkle tree for the `Money` contract is initialized with a "null"
         // leaf at position 0.
-        let mut money_merkle_tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+        let mut money_merkle_tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
         money_merkle_tree.append(MerkleNode::from(pallas::Base::ZERO));
         money_merkle_tree.mark().unwrap();
 
@@ -189,8 +189,8 @@ impl Wallet {
             money_merkle_tree,
             money_null_smt,
             money_null_smt_snapshot: None,
-            dao_merkle_tree: MerkleTree::new(100),
-            dao_proposals_tree: MerkleTree::new(100),
+            dao_merkle_tree: MerkleTree::new(1),
+            dao_proposals_tree: MerkleTree::new(1),
             unspent_money_coins: vec![],
             spent_money_coins: vec![],
             dao_leafs: HashMap::new(),
diff --git a/src/sdk/python/src/merkle.rs b/src/sdk/python/src/merkle.rs
index 8e2e9a5eb..49bee6a35 100644
--- a/src/sdk/python/src/merkle.rs
+++ b/src/sdk/python/src/merkle.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub struct MerkleTree(merkle_node::MerkleTree);
 impl MerkleTree {
     #[new]
     fn new() -> Self {
-        Self(merkle_node::MerkleTree::new(100))
+        Self(merkle_node::MerkleTree::new(1))
     }
 
     fn append(&mut self, node: &PyCell<Fp>) -> PyResult<bool> {
diff --git a/tests/halo2_vk_ser.rs b/tests/halo2_vk_ser.rs
index e807ead10..a512e7f83 100644
--- a/tests/halo2_vk_ser.rs
+++ b/tests/halo2_vk_ser.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ fn halo2_vk_ser() -> Result<()> {
     let a = pallas::Base::from(42);
     let b = pallas::Base::from(69);
 
-    let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+    let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
     let c0 = pallas::Base::random(&mut OsRng);
     let c1 = pallas::Base::random(&mut OsRng);
     let c3 = pallas::Base::random(&mut OsRng);
diff --git a/tests/zkvm_opcodes.rs b/tests/zkvm_opcodes.rs
index a54388897..2490746da 100644
--- a/tests/zkvm_opcodes.rs
+++ b/tests/zkvm_opcodes.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ fn zkvm_opcodes() -> Result<()> {
     let a = pallas::Base::from(42);
     let b = pallas::Base::from(69);
 
-    let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(100);
+    let mut tree = MerkleTree::new(1);
     let c0 = pallas::Base::random(&mut OsRng);
     let c1 = pallas::Base::random(&mut OsRng);
     let c3 = pallas::Base::random(&mut OsRng);