diff --git a/kmp/shared-core/spm/Sources/SharedCoreKit/Data+KotlinByteArray.swift b/kmp/shared-core/spm/Sources/SharedCoreKit/Data+KotlinByteArray.swift
index b9f956617f..1e4a63e625 100644
--- a/kmp/shared-core/spm/Sources/SharedCoreKit/Data+KotlinByteArray.swift
+++ b/kmp/shared-core/spm/Sources/SharedCoreKit/Data+KotlinByteArray.swift
@@ -4,24 +4,15 @@ import SharedCore
 extension Data {
 
     /// Kotlin's `ByteArray` has no `Data` bridge of its own, so every exported function taking
-    /// bytes needs this copy.
+    /// bytes needs this copy. It goes through `NSData` because the only element-wise alternative,
+    /// `KotlinByteArray.set(index:value:)`, costs one Objective-C message send per byte.
     var kotlinByteArray: KotlinByteArray {
-        let array = KotlinByteArray(size: Int32(count))
-        for (offset, byte) in enumerated() {
-            array.set(index: Int32(offset), value: Int8(bitPattern: byte))
-        }
-        return array
+        SharedBytes.shared.byteArray(data: self)
     }
 
     /// The reverse copy, for the exported functions that hand bytes back. Kotlin bytes are signed,
-    /// so anything above 0x7F comes across negative and has to be reinterpreted rather than
-    /// converted.
+    /// but a bulk copy moves the bit patterns unchanged, so nothing has to be reinterpreted here.
     init(_ array: KotlinByteArray) {
-        var bytes = [UInt8]()
-        bytes.reserveCapacity(Int(array.size))
-        for index in 0..<array.size {
-            bytes.append(UInt8(bitPattern: array.get(index: index)))
-        }
-        self.init(bytes)
+        self = SharedBytes.shared.data(bytes: array)
     }
 }
diff --git a/kmp/shared-core/spm/Tests/SharedCoreKitTests/DataBridgeTests.swift b/kmp/shared-core/spm/Tests/SharedCoreKitTests/DataBridgeTests.swift
index 81b7a92f7b..7128dfde18 100644
--- a/kmp/shared-core/spm/Tests/SharedCoreKitTests/DataBridgeTests.swift
+++ b/kmp/shared-core/spm/Tests/SharedCoreKitTests/DataBridgeTests.swift
@@ -22,3 +22,25 @@ import SharedCore
         #expect(Data(original.kotlinByteArray) == original)
     }
 }
+
+@Suite struct DataBridgeThroughputTests {
+
+    /// The size of the two discrete-curve tables the iOS app hands the bridge on first use.
+    private static let curveTableByteCount = 6_720_032
+
+    /// A per-element bridge costs one Objective-C message send per byte, which put ~1.9s of the
+    /// iOS app's launch inside `SharedBondingCurve.initialize`. The budget is two orders of
+    /// magnitude above a bulk copy of this size and an order of magnitude below the per-element
+    /// cost, so it fails on a regression rather than on a slow machine.
+    @Test func convertsCurveSizedDataWithinBudget() {
+        let original = Data(repeating: 0xAB, count: Self.curveTableByteCount)
+
+        let start = Date()
+        let kotlin = original.kotlinByteArray
+        let round = Data(kotlin)
+        let elapsed = Date().timeIntervalSince(start)
+
+        #expect(round.count == original.count)
+        #expect(elapsed < 0.2, "round trip of \(Self.curveTableByteCount) bytes took \(elapsed)s")
+    }
+}
diff --git a/kmp/shared-core/src/appleMain/kotlin/com/flipcash/shared/SharedBytes.kt b/kmp/shared-core/src/appleMain/kotlin/com/flipcash/shared/SharedBytes.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c810272d6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kmp/shared-core/src/appleMain/kotlin/com/flipcash/shared/SharedBytes.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package com.flipcash.shared
+
+import kotlinx.cinterop.BetaInteropApi
+import kotlinx.cinterop.ExperimentalForeignApi
+import kotlinx.cinterop.addressOf
+import kotlinx.cinterop.usePinned
+import platform.Foundation.NSData
+import platform.Foundation.create
+import platform.posix.memcpy
+
+/**
+ * Bulk conversions between Foundation's `NSData` and Kotlin's `ByteArray`.
+ *
+ * Swift callers have no other way to hand a `ByteArray` its contents than `set(index:value:)`,
+ * which is one Objective-C message send per byte. Copying through `NSData` instead moves the
+ * whole buffer in a single `memcpy`, which matters for anything larger than a key or a hash —
+ * the discrete-curve tables are 6.7 MB.
+ */
+@OptIn(ExperimentalForeignApi::class, BetaInteropApi::class)
+object SharedBytes {
+
+    /** Copies [data]'s bytes into a new `ByteArray`. */
+    fun byteArray(data: NSData): ByteArray {
+        val size = data.length.toInt()
+        if (size == 0) return ByteArray(0)
+        val bytes = ByteArray(size)
+        bytes.usePinned { memcpy(it.addressOf(0), data.bytes, data.length) }
+        return bytes
+    }
+
+    /** Copies [bytes] into a new `NSData`. */
+    fun data(bytes: ByteArray): NSData {
+        if (bytes.isEmpty()) return NSData()
+        return bytes.usePinned {
+            NSData.create(bytes = it.addressOf(0), length = bytes.size.toULong())
+        }
+    }
+}