diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
deleted file mode 100644
index 00e81bf..0000000
--- a/build.gradle
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,51 +0,0 @@
-buildscript {
-    ext.kotlin_version = '1.6.10'
-    repositories {
-        google()
-        mavenCentral()
-    }
-    dependencies {
-        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:7.0.4'
-        classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:$kotlin_version"
-    }
-}
-
-plugins {
-    id "signing"
-    id "maven-publish"
-    id "io.github.gradle-nexus.publish-plugin" version "1.1.0"
-}
-
-signing {
-    def signingKey = findProperty("signingKey")
-    def signingPassword = findProperty("signingPassword")
-    useInMemoryPgpKeys(signingKey, signingPassword)
-    sign publishing.publications
-}
-
-nexusPublishing {
-    packageGroup = "org.bitcoindevkit"
-    repositories {
-        sonatype {
-            nexusUrl.set(uri("https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/service/local/"))
-            snapshotRepositoryUrl.set(uri("https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/"))
-
-            username = project.findProperty("ossrhUsername")
-            password = project.findProperty("ossrhPassword")
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-allprojects {
-    repositories {
-        google()
-        mavenCentral()
-    }
-    tasks.withType(org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile).all {
-        kotlinOptions {
-            freeCompilerArgs += [
-                "-Xopt-in=kotlin.ExperimentalUnsignedTypes",
-            ]
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a03245b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+buildscript {
+    repositories {
+        google()
+        mavenCentral()
+    }
+    dependencies {
+        classpath("com.android.tools.build:gradle:7.0.4")
+        classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:1.6.10")
+    }
+}
+
+plugins {
+    id("signing")
+    id("maven-publish")
+    id("io.github.gradle-nexus.publish-plugin") version "1.1.0"
+}
+
+signing {
+    val signingKey: String? by project
+    val signingPassword: String? by project
+    useInMemoryPgpKeys(signingKey, signingPassword)
+    sign(publishing.publications)
+}
+
+// does this need to be defined here? Not sure
+// it used to be defined in the nexusPublishing block but is not required
+// I think the group ID is defined in the specific publishing blocks in the respective build.gradle.kts
+group = "org.bitcoindevkit"
+
+nexusPublishing {
+    repositories {
+        create("sonatype") {
+            nexusUrl.set(uri("https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/service/local/"))
+            snapshotRepositoryUrl.set(uri("https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/"))
+
+            val ossrhUsername: String? by project
+            val ossrhPassword: String? by project
+            username.set(ossrhUsername)
+            password.set(ossrhPassword)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+allprojects {
+    repositories {
+        google()
+        mavenCentral()
+    }
+    tasks.withType<org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile>().configureEach {
+        kotlinOptions.freeCompilerArgs += "-opt-in=kotlin.ExperimentalUnsignedTypes"
+    }
+}