diff --git a/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/mod.rs b/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/mod.rs
index 8c3c1efa25..d816f9a468 100644
--- a/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/mod.rs
+++ b/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/mod.rs
@@ -23,17 +23,23 @@ pub enum NumalgoKind {
     DidShortening(Numalgo3),
 }
 
-impl Display for NumalgoKind {
-    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+impl NumalgoKind {
+    pub fn to_char(&self) -> char {
         match self {
-            NumalgoKind::InceptionKeyWithoutDoc(_) => Numalgo0::NUMALGO_CHAR.fmt(f),
-            NumalgoKind::GenesisDoc(_) => Numalgo1::NUMALGO_CHAR.fmt(f),
-            NumalgoKind::MultipleInceptionKeys(_) => Numalgo2::NUMALGO_CHAR.fmt(f),
-            NumalgoKind::DidShortening(_) => Numalgo3::NUMALGO_CHAR.fmt(f),
+            NumalgoKind::InceptionKeyWithoutDoc(_) => Numalgo0::NUMALGO_CHAR,
+            NumalgoKind::GenesisDoc(_) => Numalgo1::NUMALGO_CHAR,
+            NumalgoKind::MultipleInceptionKeys(_) => Numalgo2::NUMALGO_CHAR,
+            NumalgoKind::DidShortening(_) => Numalgo3::NUMALGO_CHAR,
         }
     }
 }
 
+impl Display for NumalgoKind {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        self.to_char().fmt(f)
+    }
+}
+
 impl TryFrom<char> for NumalgoKind {
     type Error = DidPeerError;
 
diff --git a/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/traits.rs b/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/traits.rs
index c7283422a5..67f988dd91 100644
--- a/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/traits.rs
+++ b/did_peer/src/peer_did/numalgos/traits.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use did_parser::Did;
 use super::numalgo3::Numalgo3;
 use crate::{
     error::DidPeerError,
-    peer_did::{validate::validate, PeerDid},
+    peer_did::{parse::parse_numalgo, validate::validate, PeerDid},
     peer_did_resolver::options::PublicKeyEncoding,
 };
 
@@ -18,20 +18,11 @@ pub trait Numalgo: Sized + Default {
         <Did as TryFrom<T>>::Error: Into<DidPeerError>,
     {
         let did: Did = did.try_into().map_err(Into::into)?;
-
-        let numalgo_char = did.id().chars().next().ok_or_else(|| {
-            DidPeerError::DidValidationError(format!(
-                "Invalid did: unable to read numalgo character in did {}",
-                did.did()
-            ))
-        })?;
-
+        let numalgo_char = parse_numalgo(&did)?.to_char();
         if numalgo_char != Self::NUMALGO_CHAR {
             return Err(DidPeerError::InvalidNumalgoCharacter(numalgo_char));
         }
-
         validate(&did)?;
-
         Ok(PeerDid::from_parts(did, Self::default()))
     }
 }