diff --git a/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go b/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go
index 39c0522e1795..2da0ce4c588d 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/featureconfig"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/hashutil"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/params"
-	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/shared/trieutil"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
@@ -201,33 +200,16 @@ func (s *Service) ProcessChainStart(genesisTime uint64, eth1BlockHash [32]byte,
 	s.chainStartData.GenesisBlock = blockNumber.Uint64()
 
 	chainStartTime := time.Unix(int64(genesisTime), 0)
-	depHashes, err := s.ChainStartDepositHashes()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("Generating chainstart deposit hashes failed: %v", err)
-		return
-	}
-
-	// We then update the in-memory deposit trie from the chain start
-	// deposits at this point, as this trie will be later needed for
-	// incoming, post-chain start deposits.
-	sparseMerkleTrie, err := trieutil.GenerateTrieFromItems(
-		depHashes,
-		int(params.BeaconConfig().DepositContractTreeDepth),
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Unable to generate deposit trie from ChainStart deposits: %v", err)
-	}
 
 	for i := range s.chainStartData.ChainstartDeposits {
-		proof, err := sparseMerkleTrie.MerkleProof(i)
+		proof, err := s.depositTrie.MerkleProof(i)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("Unable to generate deposit proof %v", err)
 		}
 		s.chainStartData.ChainstartDeposits[i].Proof = proof
 	}
 
-	s.depositTrie = sparseMerkleTrie
-	root := sparseMerkleTrie.Root()
+	root := s.depositTrie.Root()
 	s.chainStartData.Eth1Data = &ethpb.Eth1Data{
 		DepositCount: uint64(len(s.chainStartData.ChainstartDeposits)),
 		DepositRoot:  root[:],
@@ -393,17 +375,3 @@ func (s *Service) checkForChainStart(ctx context.Context, blkNum *big.Int) error
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-// ChainStartDepositHashes returns the hashes of all the chainstart deposits
-// stored in memory.
-func (s *Service) ChainStartDepositHashes() ([][]byte, error) {
-	hashes := make([][]byte, len(s.chainStartData.ChainstartDeposits))
-	for i, dep := range s.chainStartData.ChainstartDeposits {
-		hash, err := ssz.HashTreeRoot(dep.Data)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		hashes[i] = hash[:]
-	}
-	return hashes, nil
-}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/faulty_mock.go b/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/faulty_mock.go
index b6832b6cd6da..439d1268bdb9 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/faulty_mock.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/faulty_mock.go
@@ -67,11 +67,6 @@ func (f *FaultyMockPOWChain) ChainStartDeposits() []*ethpb.Deposit {
 	return []*ethpb.Deposit{}
 }
 
-// ChainStartDepositHashes --
-func (f *FaultyMockPOWChain) ChainStartDepositHashes() ([][]byte, error) {
-	return [][]byte{}, errors.New("hashing failed")
-}
-
 // ChainStartEth1Data --
 func (f *FaultyMockPOWChain) ChainStartEth1Data() *ethpb.Eth1Data {
 	return &ethpb.Eth1Data{}
diff --git a/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/mock.go b/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/mock.go
index 13e95189ec02..fd4989f84c40 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/mock.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/powchain/testing/mock.go
@@ -86,11 +86,6 @@ func (m *POWChain) ChainStartDeposits() []*ethpb.Deposit {
 	return []*ethpb.Deposit{}
 }
 
-// ChainStartDepositHashes --
-func (m *POWChain) ChainStartDepositHashes() ([][]byte, error) {
-	return [][]byte{}, nil
-}
-
 // ChainStartEth1Data --
 func (m *POWChain) ChainStartEth1Data() *ethpb.Eth1Data {
 	return m.Eth1Data