diff --git a/src/aqua/chain/blocks.aqua b/src/aqua/chain/blocks.aqua
index 7c0df405..326741e2 100644
--- a/src/aqua/chain/blocks.aqua
+++ b/src/aqua/chain/blocks.aqua
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import ChainConnector from "services.aqua"
 
 -- Get latest block number from RPC
 func get_latest(spell_id: SpellId, chain: ChainInfo) -> ?string:
-    latest: ?string
+    latest: *string
     latest_block <- ChainConnector.latest_block_number(chain.api_endpoint)
     if latest_block.success:
         latest <<- latest_block.number_hex
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func get_latest(spell_id: SpellId, chain: ChainInfo) -> ?string:
 --        ordering is -1 for <, 0 for =, 1 for >
 -- returns nil if either `hex_a` or `hex_b` is an invalid hex
 func hex_cmp(spell_id: SpellId, hex_a: string, hex_b: string, pred: i8 -> bool) -> ?bool:
-    result: ?bool
+    result: *bool
 
     cmp <- ChainConnector.hex_cmp(hex_a, hex_b)
 
diff --git a/src/aqua/chain/changed_deals.aqua b/src/aqua/chain/changed_deals.aqua
index 8b980c2e..cdd8052c 100644
--- a/src/aqua/chain/changed_deals.aqua
+++ b/src/aqua/chain/changed_deals.aqua
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func make_change_reqs(spell_id: SpellId, deals: []JoinedDeal) -> []DealChangesRe
 
 -- Get DealChanged logs from RPC
 func get_deal_changes(spell_id: SpellId, api_endpoint: string, joined: []JoinedDeal) -> ?[]DealChangedResult:
-    changes: ?[]DealChangedResult
+    changes: *[]DealChangedResult
 
     deals <- make_change_reqs(spell_id, joined)
     if deals.length != 0:
diff --git a/src/aqua/chain/from_block.aqua b/src/aqua/chain/from_block.aqua
index de25db0e..f6983d8e 100644
--- a/src/aqua/chain/from_block.aqua
+++ b/src/aqua/chain/from_block.aqua
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func get_from_block(spell_id: SpellId) -> string:
 -- "latest" => latest block on chain
 -- "earliest" => 0x0
 func evaluate_from_block(spell_id: SpellId, chain: ChainInfo) -> ?string:
-    left: ?string
+    left: *string
     from_block <- get_from_block(spell_id)
     if from_block == "latest":
         latest <- get_latest(spell_id, chain)
diff --git a/src/aqua/chain/new_deals.aqua b/src/aqua/chain/new_deals.aqua
index 82105cc0..8b3c0c28 100644
--- a/src/aqua/chain/new_deals.aqua
+++ b/src/aqua/chain/new_deals.aqua
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use "../hex.aqua" as Hex
 -- return a value to use as a left boundary in `eth_newLogs`
 -- it usually equals to `last seen block + 1`, except on first iteration it is equal to evaluated `from_block`
 func get_left_boundary(spell_id: SpellId, chain: ChainInfo) -> ?string:
-    left: ?string
+    left: *string
 
     -- load "last seen" block number
     -- `last seen block` is initialized to the first `left boundary` this function returns
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func filter_new(spell_id: SpellId, matches: []DealMatched, joined_deals: []Joine
     new: *DealMatched
     -- TODO: replace with a more optimal implementation once hashmaps land in AquaVM
     for match <- matches:
-        joined: ?bool
+        joined: *bool
         match_deal_id = match.info.deal_id
         -- first, check if worker for that deal is created
         if is_worker_created(spell_id, match_deal_id):
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ data Poll:
     right_boundary: string
 
 func poll_logs(spell_id: SpellId, chain: ChainInfo, left: string) -> ?Poll:
-    poll: ?Poll
+    poll: *Poll
 
     result <- ChainConnector.poll_deal_matches(chain, left)
     if !result.success:
diff --git a/src/aqua/decider/deal_storage.aqua b/src/aqua/decider/deal_storage.aqua
index 11645b54..bcd0f307 100644
--- a/src/aqua/decider/deal_storage.aqua
+++ b/src/aqua/decider/deal_storage.aqua
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func store_deal_state(decider_id: SpellId, deal_id: DealId, state: DealState):
 
 func get_deal_state(decider_id: SpellId, deal_id: DealId) -> ?DealState:
     Spell decider_id
-    state: ?DealState
+    state: *DealState
 
     json <- Spell.get_string(deal_id)
     if json.success && !json.absent:
diff --git a/src/aqua/decider/join_deal.aqua b/src/aqua/decider/join_deal.aqua
index 02211f0e..2c2b876c 100644
--- a/src/aqua/decider/join_deal.aqua
+++ b/src/aqua/decider/join_deal.aqua
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ func join_deal(spell_id: SpellId, block: string, deal_id: DealId, app_cid: CID)
         deal_log(spell_id, deal_id, msg)
 
     log(["joining a deal from_block", block])
-    worker_id: ?WorkerId
-    error: ?string
+    worker_id: *WorkerId
+    error: *string
     try:
         id <- Worker.create(spell_id, deal_id)
         if id != nil:
diff --git a/src/aqua/fluence/worker.aqua b/src/aqua/fluence/worker.aqua
index 1d10237f..f8928e6b 100644
--- a/src/aqua/fluence/worker.aqua
+++ b/src/aqua/fluence/worker.aqua
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func is_worker_created(spell_id: SpellId, deal_id: DealId) -> bool:
     <- created!
 
 func create(spell_id: SpellId, deal_id: DealId) -> ?WorkerId:
-    worker_id: ?WorkerId
+    worker_id: *WorkerId
     try:
         worker_id <- Worker.create(?[deal_id])
         deal_log(spell_id, deal_id, ["created worker for deal", worker_id!])