diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 134bae0..05f5923 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.6.0
 	github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/v2 v2.19.1
 	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1
-	github.com/qubic/go-node-connector v0.10.0
+	github.com/qubic/go-node-connector v0.10.1
 	github.com/qubic/go-schnorrq v1.0.0
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4
 	go.uber.org/zap v1.26.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 1a9b652..38032f3 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -232,8 +232,8 @@ github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.1.3/go.mod h1:lV6e/gmhEcM9IjHGsFOCxxuZ+z1YqCvr4O
 github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.6.0/go.mod h1:cz+aTbrPOrUb4q7XlbU9ygM+/jj0fzG6c1xBZuNvfVA=
 github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.7.3 h1:4jVXhlkAyzOScmCkXBTOLRLTz8EeU+eyjrwB/EPq0VU=
 github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.7.3/go.mod h1:cz+aTbrPOrUb4q7XlbU9ygM+/jj0fzG6c1xBZuNvfVA=
-github.com/qubic/go-node-connector v0.10.0 h1:/hus1QVuONBSxGoFOIYXJ0XFrvYVTfv7zPkQE7mtMUw=
-github.com/qubic/go-node-connector v0.10.0/go.mod h1:Vb2T4mjp8YClnqGi+baiaHkjhulBmT0bpzzEPbzlqQ0=
+github.com/qubic/go-node-connector v0.10.1 h1:sSGA9zWhMkHml2tLPwy9Kfl1JHbAFwFHhewRxlxTe7E=
+github.com/qubic/go-node-connector v0.10.1/go.mod h1:Vb2T4mjp8YClnqGi+baiaHkjhulBmT0bpzzEPbzlqQ0=
 github.com/qubic/go-schnorrq v1.0.0 h1:EiCC3v9v3esFFfhKNEGdAI4DFIY3Dm/wbH327pC5qco=
 github.com/qubic/go-schnorrq v1.0.0/go.mod h1:KW64PcvyF4+cBA22pCx9wcoKDqPIbGz0EZ9dCZWV6Yo=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.3.0/go.mod h1:M8bDsm7K2OlrFYOpmOWEs/qY81heoFRclV5y23lUDJ4=
diff --git a/validator/tick/models.go b/validator/tick/models.go
index a9316a5..762360d 100644
--- a/validator/tick/models.go
+++ b/validator/tick/models.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ func qubicToProto(tickData types.TickData) (*protobuff.TickData, error) {
 		Epoch:          uint32(tickData.Epoch),
 		TickNumber:     tickData.Tick,
 		Timestamp:      uint64(timestamp),
-		VarStruct:      varStructToProto(tickData.UnionData),
 		TimeLock:       tickData.Timelock[:],
 		TransactionIds: transactionIds,
 		ContractFees:   contractFeesToProto(tickData.ContractFees),
@@ -59,11 +58,3 @@ func contractFeesToProto(contractFees [1024]int64) []int64 {
 	}
 	return protoContractFees
 }
-
-func varStructToProto(varStruct [256]byte) []byte {
-	if varStruct == [256]byte{} {
-		return []byte{}
-	}
-
-	return varStruct[:]
-}
diff --git a/validator/tick/models_test.go b/validator/tick/models_test.go
index 0e386a8..d025851 100644
--- a/validator/tick/models_test.go
+++ b/validator/tick/models_test.go
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ func TestQubicToProto(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("idTwo.FromPubKey() unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	unionData := [256]byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
 	timeLock := [32]byte{6, 4, 7, 4, 2}
 	transactionDigests := [1024][32]byte{digestOne, digestTwo}
 	contractFees := [1024]int64{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
@@ -69,7 +68,6 @@ func TestQubicToProto(t *testing.T) {
 		Day:                5,
 		Month:              6,
 		Year:               23,
-		UnionData:          unionData,
 		Timelock:           timeLock,
 		TransactionDigests: transactionDigests,
 		ContractFees:       contractFees,
@@ -81,7 +79,6 @@ func TestQubicToProto(t *testing.T) {
 		Epoch:          20,
 		TickNumber:     100,
 		Timestamp:      1685937782001,
-		VarStruct:      unionData[:],
 		TimeLock:       timeLock[:],
 		TransactionIds: []string{idOne.String(), idTwo.String()},
 		ContractFees:   []int64{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9},