diff --git a/packages/dataverse/src/Atom.ts b/packages/dataverse/src/Atom.ts
index 1169e59..af7945a 100644
--- a/packages/dataverse/src/Atom.ts
+++ b/packages/dataverse/src/Atom.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import DerivationFromSource from './derivations/DerivationFromSource'
 import type {IDerivation} from './derivations/IDerivation'
 import {isDerivation} from './derivations/IDerivation'
 import type {Pointer, PointerType} from './pointer'
+import {isPointer} from './pointer'
 import pointer, {getPointerMeta} from './pointer'
 import type {$FixMe, $IntentionalAny} from './types'
 import type {PathBasedReducer} from './utils/PathBasedReducer'
@@ -145,6 +146,8 @@ export default class Atom<State extends {}>
     scope.identityChangeListeners.forEach((cb) => cb(newState))
 
     if (scope.children.size === 0) return
+
+    // @todo we can probably skip checking value types
     const oldValueType = getTypeOfValue(oldState)
     const newValueType = getTypeOfValue(newState)
 
@@ -208,7 +211,7 @@ export const valueDerivation = <P extends PointerType<$IntentionalAny>>(
   return derivation as $IntentionalAny
 }
 
-export function isIdentityChangeProvider(
+function isIdentityChangeProvider(
   val: unknown,
 ): val is IdentityDerivationProvider {
   return (
@@ -235,7 +238,3 @@ export const val = <P>(
     return pointerOrDerivationOrPlainValue as $IntentionalAny
   }
 }
-
-export const isPointer = (p: $IntentionalAny): p is Pointer<unknown> => {
-  return p && p.$pointerMeta ? true : false
-}
diff --git a/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateAndCountTicks.ts b/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateAndCountTicks.ts
index 3f8b76b..37030fb 100644
--- a/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateAndCountTicks.ts
+++ b/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateAndCountTicks.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import {isPointer, valueDerivation} from '../Atom'
+import {valueDerivation} from '../Atom'
 import type {Pointer} from '../pointer'
+import {isPointer} from '../pointer'
 import type {IDerivation} from './IDerivation'
 import {isDerivation} from './IDerivation'
 
diff --git a/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateOver.ts b/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateOver.ts
index a46a96e..f800002 100644
--- a/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateOver.ts
+++ b/packages/dataverse/src/derivations/iterateOver.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import {isPointer, valueDerivation} from '../Atom'
+import {valueDerivation} from '../Atom'
 import type {Pointer} from '../pointer'
+import {isPointer} from '../pointer'
 import Ticker from '../Ticker'
 import type {IDerivation} from './IDerivation'
 import {isDerivation} from './IDerivation'
diff --git a/packages/dataverse/src/index.ts b/packages/dataverse/src/index.ts
index 09ce3ce..dbf2477 100644
--- a/packages/dataverse/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/dataverse/src/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-export {default as Atom, isPointer, val, valueDerivation} from './Atom'
+export {default as Atom, val, valueDerivation} from './Atom'
 export {default as Box} from './Box'
 export type {IBox} from './Box'
 export {default as AbstractDerivation} from './derivations/AbstractDerivation'
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export type {IDerivation} from './derivations/IDerivation'
 export {default as iterateAndCountTicks} from './derivations/iterateAndCountTicks'
 export {default as iterateOver} from './derivations/iterateOver'
 export {default as prism} from './derivations/prism/prism'
-export {default as pointer, getPointerParts} from './pointer'
+export {default as pointer, getPointerParts, isPointer} from './pointer'
 export type {Pointer} from './pointer'
 export {default as Ticker} from './Ticker'
 export {default as PointerProxy} from './PointerProxy'
diff --git a/packages/dataverse/src/pointer.ts b/packages/dataverse/src/pointer.ts
index 6f9373b..ba5c813 100644
--- a/packages/dataverse/src/pointer.ts
+++ b/packages/dataverse/src/pointer.ts
@@ -102,3 +102,7 @@ function pointer(args: {root: {}; path?: Array<string | number>}) {
 }
 
 export default pointer
+
+export const isPointer = (p: $IntentionalAny): p is Pointer<unknown> => {
+  return p && !!getPointerMeta(p)
+}