diff --git a/src/bytes/bytes.ts b/src/bytes/bytes.ts
index b2748c7..fad0976 100644
--- a/src/bytes/bytes.ts
+++ b/src/bytes/bytes.ts
@@ -154,12 +154,19 @@ export class Bytes {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Decodes the bytes as UTF-8 JSON.
+   * Parses the bytes as UTF-8 JSON.
    */
-  public toJSON(): unknown {
+  public parseJson(): unknown {
     return JSON.parse(this.toUtf8())
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Serialized as its hex string by `JSON.stringify`.
+   */
+  public toJSON(): string {
+    return this.toHex()
+  }
+
   /**
    * Byte-wise equality against another Bytes instance, raw bytes, or hex string.
    */
@@ -173,4 +180,11 @@ export class Bytes {
   public represent(): string {
     return this.toHex()
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Printed as its hex string by `console.log` and `util.inspect` in Node.
+   */
+  public [Symbol.for('nodejs.util.inspect.custom')](): string {
+    return this.represent()
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/typed-bytes.test.ts b/test/typed-bytes.test.ts
index c3fca99..3361efc 100644
--- a/test/typed-bytes.test.ts
+++ b/test/typed-bytes.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { inspect } from 'node:util'
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import { keccak256 } from '../src/crypto/keccak.js'
 import { BatchId } from '../src/bytes/batch-id.js'
@@ -63,7 +64,22 @@ describe('Bytes', () => {
 
   it('parses JSON from its UTF-8 content', () => {
     const bytes = Bytes.fromUtf8(JSON.stringify({ a: 1 }))
-    expect(bytes.toJSON()).toEqual({ a: 1 })
+    expect(bytes.parseJson()).toEqual({ a: 1 })
+  })
+
+  it('stringifies to hex, standalone and as a property', () => {
+    const id = new BatchId('ab'.repeat(32))
+    expect(id.toJSON()).toBe('ab'.repeat(32))
+    expect(JSON.stringify(id)).toBe(`"${'ab'.repeat(32)}"`)
+    expect(JSON.stringify({ id })).toBe(`{"id":"${'ab'.repeat(32)}"}`)
+    expect(`${id}`).toBe('ab'.repeat(32))
+  })
+
+  it('inspects as hex, standalone and nested', () => {
+    const id = new BatchId('ab'.repeat(32))
+    expect(inspect(id)).toBe('ab'.repeat(32))
+    expect(inspect({ id }, { breakLength: Infinity })).toBe(`{ id: ${'ab'.repeat(32)} }`)
+    expect(inspect([new Span('0102030405060708')])).toBe('[ 0102030405060708 ]')
   })
 
   it('static keccak256 matches the direct function', () => {