diff --git a/graphenebase/operationids.py b/graphenebase/operationids.py
index 257b28ed..5772851c 100644
--- a/graphenebase/operationids.py
+++ b/graphenebase/operationids.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #: Operation ids
 ops = [
     "demooepration",
@@ -10,10 +11,26 @@
 operations = {o: ops.index(o) for o in ops}
 
 
-def getOperationNameForId(i):
+def getOperationNameForId(i: int):
     """ Convert an operation id into the corresponding string
     """
+    assert isinstance(i, (int)), "This method expects an integer argument"
     for key in operations:
         if int(operations[key]) is int(i):
             return key
     raise ValueError("Unknown Operation ID %d" % i)
+
+
+def getOperationName(id: str):
+    """ This method returns the name representation of an operation given
+        its value as used in the API
+    """
+    if isinstance(id, str):
+        # Some graphene chains (e.g. steem) do not encode the
+        # operation_type as id but in its string form
+        assert id in operations.keys(), "Unknown operation {}".format(id)
+        return id
+    elif isinstance(id, int):
+        return getOperationNameForId(id)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError
diff --git a/graphenecommon/blockchain.py b/graphenecommon/blockchain.py
index 79d72ddf..218cf21c 100644
--- a/graphenecommon/blockchain.py
+++ b/graphenecommon/blockchain.py
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ def ops(self, start=None, stop=None, **kwargs):
             for tx in block["transactions"]:
                 for op in tx["operations"]:
                     # Replace opid by op name
-                    op[0] = self.operationids.getOperationNameForId(op[0])
+                    op[0] = self.operationids.getOperationName(op[0])
                     yield {
                         "block_num": block["block_num"],
                         "op": op,
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures.py
index 263afb18..cd365105 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -42,8 +42,13 @@
     Demooepration,
     Account_create,
 )
-from graphenebase import operations as operations_module
-from graphenebase.operationids import ops, getOperationNameForId, operations
+from graphenebase import operations as operations_module, operationids
+from graphenebase.operationids import (
+    ops,
+    getOperationNameForId,
+    getOperationName,
+    operations,
+)
 
 from graphenebase import bip38
 from graphenebase.bip38 import encrypt, decrypt
@@ -76,6 +81,7 @@
 from graphenecommon.asset import Asset as GAsset
 from graphenecommon.committee import Committee as GCommittee
 from graphenecommon.block import Block as GBlock, BlockHeader as GBlockHeader
+from graphenecommon.blockchain import Blockchain as GBLockchain
 from graphenecommon.message import Message as GMessage
 from graphenecommon.blockchainobject import ObjectCache, BlockchainObject
 from graphenecommon.price import Price as GPrice
@@ -259,6 +265,13 @@ def define_classes(self):
         self.amount_class = Amount
 
 
+@BlockchainInstance.inject
+class Blockchain(GBLockchain):
+    def define_classes(self):
+        self.block_class = Block
+        self.operationids = operationids
+
+
 @BlockchainInstance.inject
 class Wallet(GWallet):
     def define_classes(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_operationids.py b/tests/test_operationids.py
index f1f0b6b6..83d42d57 100644
--- a/tests/test_operationids.py
+++ b/tests/test_operationids.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 import unittest
-from .fixtures import ops, operations, getOperationNameForId
+from .fixtures import ops, operations, getOperationNameForId, getOperationName
 
 
 class Testcases(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -17,3 +17,9 @@ def test_getOperationNameForId(self):
 
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             getOperationNameForId(20)
+
+    def test_operation_type_decode(self):
+        self.assertEqual(getOperationName(0), "demooepration")
+        self.assertEqual(getOperationName("account_create"), "account_create")
+        with self.assertRaises(AssertionError):
+            self.assertEqual(getOperationName("-not-exist-"), "account_create")