diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 017c36a..69217d1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # @digitalbazaar/ed25519-signature-2020 Changelog
 
+## 5.3.0 - 2024-mm-dd
+
+### Added
+- Add support for `Multikey` verification methods.
+
+### Changed
+- Loosen restrictions on verification methods that do not have
+  contexts, allowing processing of well-known types in those cases.
+- Allow `publiKeyJwk` to be used to express key material.
+
 ## 5.2.0 - 2023-02-13
 
 ### Removed
diff --git a/lib/Ed25519Signature2020.js b/lib/Ed25519Signature2020.js
index 4d3338b..e4e6a81 100644
--- a/lib/Ed25519Signature2020.js
+++ b/lib/Ed25519Signature2020.js
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
 /*!
- * Copyright (c) 2020-2021 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2020-2024 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
  */
-import jsigs from 'jsonld-signatures';
-const {suites: {LinkedDataSignature}} = jsigs;
 import * as base58btc from 'base58-universal';
+import * as Ed25519Multikey from '@digitalbazaar/ed25519-multikey';
 import {
   Ed25519VerificationKey2020
 } from '@digitalbazaar/ed25519-verification-key-2020';
-import suiteContext2018 from 'ed25519-signature-2018-context';
+import jsigs from 'jsonld-signatures';
+const {suites: {LinkedDataSignature}} = jsigs;
 import suiteContext2020 from 'ed25519-signature-2020-context';
 
 // 'https://w3id.org/security/suites/ed25519-2020/v1'
 const SUITE_CONTEXT_URL = suiteContext2020.constants.CONTEXT_URL;
-// 'https://w3id.org/security/suites/ed25519-2018/v1'
-const SUITE_CONTEXT_URL_2018 = suiteContext2018.constants.CONTEXT_URL;
+
 // multibase base58-btc header
 const MULTIBASE_BASE58BTC_HEADER = 'z';
 
@@ -56,8 +55,9 @@ export class Ed25519Signature2020 extends LinkedDataSignature {
       key, signer, verifier, proof, date, useNativeCanonize,
       canonizeOptions
     });
-    // Some operations may be performed with Ed25519VerificationKey2018.
-    // So, Ed25519VerificationKey2020 is recommended, but not strictly required.
+    // some operations may be performed with `Ed25519VerificationKey2018` or
+    // `Multikey`; so, `Ed25519VerificationKey2020` is recommended, but not
+    // strictly required
     this.requiredKeyType = 'Ed25519VerificationKey2020';
   }
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export class Ed25519Signature2020 extends LinkedDataSignature {
 
     let {verifier} = this;
     if(!verifier) {
-      const key = await this.LDKeyClass.from(verificationMethod);
+      const key = await Ed25519Multikey.from(verificationMethod);
       verifier = key.verifier();
     }
     return verifier.verify({data: verifyData, signature: signatureBytes});
@@ -119,14 +119,10 @@ export class Ed25519Signature2020 extends LinkedDataSignature {
     let contextUrl;
     if(verificationMethod.type === 'Ed25519VerificationKey2020') {
       contextUrl = SUITE_CONTEXT_URL;
-    } else if(verificationMethod.type === 'Ed25519VerificationKey2018') {
-      contextUrl = SUITE_CONTEXT_URL_2018;
     } else {
       throw new Error(`Unsupported key type "${verificationMethod.type}".`);
     }
-    if(!_includesContext({
-      document: verificationMethod, contextUrl
-    })) {
+    if(!_includesContext({document: verificationMethod, contextUrl})) {
       // For DID Documents, since keys do not have their own contexts,
       // the suite context is usually provided by the documentLoader logic
       throw new TypeError(
@@ -163,12 +159,16 @@ export class Ed25519Signature2020 extends LinkedDataSignature {
     verificationMethod = typeof document === 'string' ?
       JSON.parse(document) : document;
 
+    // for maximum compatibility, import using multikey library and convert to
+    // type `Ed25519Signature2020`
+    const key = await Ed25519Multikey.from(verificationMethod);
+    verificationMethod = {
+      ...await key.export({publicKey: true, includeContext: true}),
+      '@context': SUITE_CONTEXT_URL,
+      type: 'Ed25519VerificationKey2020'
+    };
     await this.assertVerificationMethod({verificationMethod});
-    if(verificationMethod.type === 'Ed25519VerificationKey2018') {
-      verificationMethod = (await Ed25519VerificationKey2020
-        .fromEd25519VerificationKey2018({keyPair: verificationMethod}))
-        .export({publicKey: true, includeContext: true});
-    }
+
     return verificationMethod;
   }
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 29c42c3..3103a7c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
     "lib/**/*.js"
   ],
   "dependencies": {
+    "@digitalbazaar/ed25519-multikey": "^1.1.0",
     "@digitalbazaar/ed25519-verification-key-2020": "^4.1.0",
     "base58-universal": "^2.0.0",
-    "ed25519-signature-2018-context": "^1.1.0",
     "ed25519-signature-2020-context": "^1.1.0",
     "jsonld-signatures": "^11.1.0"
   },
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     "c8": "^7.12.0",
     "chai": "^4.3.7",
     "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
+    "ed25519-signature-2018-context": "^1.1.0",
     "eslint": "^8.34.0",
     "eslint-config-digitalbazaar": "^4.2.0",
     "eslint-plugin-jsdoc": "^40.0.0",
diff --git a/test/Ed25519Signature2020.spec.js b/test/Ed25519Signature2020.spec.js
index 57a4aa1..527fe6f 100644
--- a/test/Ed25519Signature2020.spec.js
+++ b/test/Ed25519Signature2020.spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*!
- * Copyright (c) 2021-2022 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2021-2024 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
  */
 import {expect} from 'chai';
 
@@ -416,27 +416,6 @@ describe('Ed25519Signature2020', () => {
         });
         expect(result.verified).to.be.true;
       });
-    it('should throw error when verification method does not have' +
-      '2018 context', async () => {
-      const mockPublicKey2018WithoutContext = {...mockPublicKey2018};
-      // intentionally delete the context
-      delete mockPublicKey2018WithoutContext['@context'];
-      loader.addStatic(mockKeyPair2018.controller, controllerDoc2018);
-      loader.addStatic(mockPublicKey2018WithoutContext.id,
-        mockPublicKey2018WithoutContext);
-      const documentLoader = loader.build();
-      const suite = new Ed25519Signature2020();
-      const result = await jsigs.verify(signedCredential, {
-        suite,
-        purpose: new AssertionProofPurpose(),
-        documentLoader
-      });
-      expect(result.verified).to.be.false;
-      expect(result.results[0].error.name).equal('TypeError');
-      expect(result.results[0].error.message).equal(
-        'The verification method (key) must contain ' +
-        '\"https://w3id.org/security/suites/ed25519-2018/v1\" context.');
-    });
     it('should throw error when verification method contains 2018 key ' +
       'with (not-matching) 2020 context', async () => {
       const mockPublicKey2018With2020Context = {...mockPublicKey2018};
@@ -454,10 +433,9 @@ describe('Ed25519Signature2020', () => {
         documentLoader
       });
       expect(result.verified).to.be.false;
-      expect(result.results[0].error.name).equal('TypeError');
       expect(result.results[0].error.message).equal(
-        'The verification method (key) must contain ' +
-        '\"https://w3id.org/security/suites/ed25519-2018/v1\" context.');
+        'Context not supported ' +
+        '"https://w3id.org/security/suites/ed25519-2020/v1".');
     });
   });
 });