diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 317029b..376405f 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -325,12 +325,11 @@ dependencies = [
  "byteorder",
  "bytes",
  "chrono",
- "confy",
+ "ed25519-dalek",
  "env_logger",
  "hex",
  "hex-conservative 0.1.1",
  "log",
- "openssl",
  "regex",
  "reqwest",
  "serde",
@@ -364,6 +363,12 @@ version = "0.22.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "72b3254f16251a8381aa12e40e3c4d2f0199f8c6508fbecb9d91f575e0fbb8c6"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "base64ct"
+version = "1.8.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "2af50177e190e07a26ab74f8b1efbfe2ef87da2116221318cb1c2e82baf7de06"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bech32"
 version = "0.11.0"
@@ -592,16 +597,10 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d3fd119d74b830634cea2a0f58bbd0d54540518a14397557951e79340abc28c0"
 
 [[package]]
-name = "confy"
-version = "0.6.1"
+name = "const-oid"
+version = "0.9.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "45b1f4c00870f07dc34adcac82bb6a72cc5aabca8536ba1797e01df51d2ce9a0"
-dependencies = [
- "directories",
- "serde",
- "thiserror",
- "toml",
-]
+checksum = "c2459377285ad874054d797f3ccebf984978aa39129f6eafde5cdc8315b612f8"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "const-oid"
@@ -747,6 +746,33 @@ dependencies = [
  "hybrid-array",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "curve25519-dalek"
+version = "4.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "97fb8b7c4503de7d6ae7b42ab72a5a59857b4c937ec27a3d4539dba95b5ab2be"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "cpufeatures 0.2.17",
+ "curve25519-dalek-derive",
+ "digest 0.10.7",
+ "fiat-crypto",
+ "rustc_version",
+ "subtle",
+ "zeroize",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "curve25519-dalek-derive"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f46882e17999c6cc590af592290432be3bce0428cb0d5f8b6715e4dc7b383eb3"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "dashmap"
 version = "5.5.3"
@@ -760,6 +786,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "parking_lot_core",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "der"
+version = "0.7.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e7c1832837b905bbfb5101e07cc24c8deddf52f93225eee6ead5f4d63d53ddcb"
+dependencies = [
+ "const-oid 0.9.6",
+ "pem-rfc7468",
+ "zeroize",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "deranged"
 version = "0.5.8"
@@ -809,7 +846,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "f1dd6dbb5841937940781866fa1281a1ff7bd3bf827091440879f9994983d5c2"
 dependencies = [
  "block-buffer 0.12.1",
- "const-oid",
+ "const-oid 0.10.2",
  "crypto-common 0.2.2",
 ]
 
@@ -824,27 +861,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "walkdir",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "directories"
-version = "5.0.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9a49173b84e034382284f27f1af4dcbbd231ffa358c0fe316541a7337f376a35"
-dependencies = [
- "dirs-sys",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "dirs-sys"
-version = "0.4.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "520f05a5cbd335fae5a99ff7a6ab8627577660ee5cfd6a94a6a929b52ff0321c"
-dependencies = [
- "libc",
- "option-ext",
- "redox_users",
- "windows-sys 0.48.0",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "displaydoc"
 version = "0.2.5"
@@ -856,6 +872,30 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ed25519"
+version = "2.2.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "115531babc129696a58c64a4fef0a8bf9e9698629fb97e9e40767d235cfbcd53"
+dependencies = [
+ "pkcs8",
+ "signature",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "ed25519-dalek"
+version = "2.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "70e796c081cee67dc755e1a36a0a172b897fab85fc3f6bc48307991f64e4eca9"
+dependencies = [
+ "curve25519-dalek",
+ "ed25519",
+ "serde",
+ "sha2",
+ "subtle",
+ "zeroize",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "either"
 version = "1.15.0"
@@ -916,6 +956,12 @@ version = "2.3.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "37909eebbb50d72f9059c3b6d82c0463f2ff062c9e95845c43a6c9c0355411be"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "fiat-crypto"
+version = "0.2.9"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "28dea519a9695b9977216879a3ebfddf92f1c08c05d984f8996aecd6ecdc811d"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "find-msvc-tools"
 version = "0.1.4"
@@ -1578,16 +1624,6 @@ version = "0.2.186"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "68ab91017fe16c622486840e4c83c9a37afeff978bd239b5293d61ece587de66"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "libredox"
-version = "0.1.3"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c0ff37bd590ca25063e35af745c343cb7a0271906fb7b37e4813e8f79f00268d"
-dependencies = [
- "bitflags 2.9.0",
- "libc",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "linux-raw-sys"
 version = "0.11.0"
@@ -1759,15 +1795,6 @@ version = "0.1.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d05e27ee213611ffe7d6348b942e8f942b37114c00cc03cec254295a4a17852e"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "openssl-src"
-version = "300.5.4+3.5.4"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a507b3792995dae9b0df8a1c1e3771e8418b7c2d9f0baeba32e6fe8b06c7cb72"
-dependencies = [
- "cc",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "openssl-sys"
 version = "0.9.110"
@@ -1776,17 +1803,10 @@ checksum = "0a9f0075ba3c21b09f8e8b2026584b1d18d49388648f2fbbf3c97ea8deced8e2"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
  "libc",
- "openssl-src",
  "pkg-config",
  "vcpkg",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "option-ext"
-version = "0.2.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "04744f49eae99ab78e0d5c0b603ab218f515ea8cfe5a456d7629ad883a3b6e7d"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "parking_lot"
 version = "0.12.5"
@@ -1810,6 +1830,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-link 0.2.1",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pem-rfc7468"
+version = "0.7.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "88b39c9bfcfc231068454382784bb460aae594343fb030d46e9f50a645418412"
+dependencies = [
+ "base64ct",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "percent-encoding"
 version = "2.3.2"
@@ -1828,6 +1857,16 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "8b870d8c151b6f2fb93e84a13146138f05d02ed11c7e7c54f8826aaaf7c9f184"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pkcs8"
+version = "0.10.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f950b2377845cebe5cf8b5165cb3cc1a5e0fa5cfa3e1f7f55707d8fd82e0a7b7"
+dependencies = [
+ "der",
+ "spki",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pkg-config"
 version = "0.3.30"
@@ -1994,17 +2033,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "bitflags 2.9.0",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "redox_users"
-version = "0.4.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "bd283d9651eeda4b2a83a43c1c91b266c40fd76ecd39a50a8c630ae69dc72891"
-dependencies = [
- "getrandom 0.2.14",
- "libredox",
- "thiserror",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "regex"
 version = "1.10.4"
@@ -2326,6 +2354,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "signature"
+version = "2.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "77549399552de45a898a580c1b41d445bf730df867cc44e6c0233bbc4b8329de"
+dependencies = [
+ "rand_core 0.6.4",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "simd-adler32"
 version = "0.3.10"
@@ -2373,6 +2410,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "lock_api",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "spki"
+version = "0.7.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d91ed6c858b01f942cd56b37a94b3e0a1798290327d1236e4d9cf4eaca44d29d"
+dependencies = [
+ "base64ct",
+ "der",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "sqlite"
 version = "0.34.0"
@@ -2499,26 +2546,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "thiserror"
-version = "1.0.59"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f0126ad08bff79f29fc3ae6a55cc72352056dfff61e3ff8bb7129476d44b23aa"
-dependencies = [
- "thiserror-impl",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "thiserror-impl"
-version = "1.0.59"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "d1cd413b5d558b4c5bf3680e324a6fa5014e7b7c067a51e69dbdf47eb7148b66"
-dependencies = [
- "proc-macro2",
- "quote",
- "syn",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "time"
 version = "0.3.44"
@@ -3032,15 +3059,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-link 0.1.1",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-sys"
-version = "0.48.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "677d2418bec65e3338edb076e806bc1ec15693c5d0104683f2efe857f61056a9"
-dependencies = [
- "windows-targets 0.48.5",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-sys"
 version = "0.52.0"
@@ -3068,21 +3086,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-link 0.2.1",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-targets"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9a2fa6e2155d7247be68c096456083145c183cbbbc2764150dda45a87197940c"
-dependencies = [
- "windows_aarch64_gnullvm 0.48.5",
- "windows_aarch64_msvc 0.48.5",
- "windows_i686_gnu 0.48.5",
- "windows_i686_msvc 0.48.5",
- "windows_x86_64_gnu 0.48.5",
- "windows_x86_64_gnullvm 0.48.5",
- "windows_x86_64_msvc 0.48.5",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-targets"
 version = "0.52.5"
@@ -3116,12 +3119,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows_x86_64_msvc 0.53.1",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows_aarch64_gnullvm"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "2b38e32f0abccf9987a4e3079dfb67dcd799fb61361e53e2882c3cbaf0d905d8"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_aarch64_gnullvm"
 version = "0.52.5"
@@ -3134,12 +3131,6 @@ version = "0.53.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "a9d8416fa8b42f5c947f8482c43e7d89e73a173cead56d044f6a56104a6d1b53"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows_aarch64_msvc"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "dc35310971f3b2dbbf3f0690a219f40e2d9afcf64f9ab7cc1be722937c26b4bc"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_aarch64_msvc"
 version = "0.52.5"
@@ -3152,12 +3143,6 @@ version = "0.53.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "b9d782e804c2f632e395708e99a94275910eb9100b2114651e04744e9b125006"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows_i686_gnu"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a75915e7def60c94dcef72200b9a8e58e5091744960da64ec734a6c6e9b3743e"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_i686_gnu"
 version = "0.52.5"
@@ -3182,12 +3167,6 @@ version = "0.53.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "fa7359d10048f68ab8b09fa71c3daccfb0e9b559aed648a8f95469c27057180c"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows_i686_msvc"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8f55c233f70c4b27f66c523580f78f1004e8b5a8b659e05a4eb49d4166cca406"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_i686_msvc"
 version = "0.52.5"
@@ -3200,12 +3179,6 @@ version = "0.53.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "1e7ac75179f18232fe9c285163565a57ef8d3c89254a30685b57d83a38d326c2"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows_x86_64_gnu"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "53d40abd2583d23e4718fddf1ebec84dbff8381c07cae67ff7768bbf19c6718e"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_x86_64_gnu"
 version = "0.52.5"
@@ -3218,12 +3191,6 @@ version = "0.53.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9c3842cdd74a865a8066ab39c8a7a473c0778a3f29370b5fd6b4b9aa7df4a499"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows_x86_64_gnullvm"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0b7b52767868a23d5bab768e390dc5f5c55825b6d30b86c844ff2dc7414044cc"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_x86_64_gnullvm"
 version = "0.52.5"
@@ -3236,12 +3203,6 @@ version = "0.53.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "0ffa179e2d07eee8ad8f57493436566c7cc30ac536a3379fdf008f47f6bb7ae1"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows_x86_64_msvc"
-version = "0.48.5"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "ed94fce61571a4006852b7389a063ab983c02eb1bb37b47f8272ce92d06d9538"
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows_x86_64_msvc"
 version = "0.52.5"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index eb91e64..b83e553 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,33 +4,48 @@ version = "0.3.1"
 edition = "2024"
 
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
+[features]
+default = ["server"]
+server = ["dep:actix-web", "dep:actix-governor", "dep:actix-rt", "dep:chrono", "dep:hex-conservative"]
+pusher = ["dep:zmq", "dep:reqwest", "dep:byteorder", "dep:base64", "dep:ed25519-dalek"]
+
 [dependencies]
-base64 = 		{ version = "0.22.1" }
 bs58 = 			{ version = "0.4.0" }
 bytes = 		{ version = "1.2" }
 bitcoin = 		{ version = "0.32.5" }
 bitcoincore-rpc = 	{ version = "0.19.0" }
 bitcoincore-rpc-json = 	{ version = "0.19.0" }
-byteorder = 		{ version = "1.5.0" }
-confy = 		{ version = "0.6.1" }
-chrono = 		{ version = "0.4.40" }
 env_logger = 		{ version = "0.11.5" }
 hex = 			{ version = "0.4.3" }
-hex-conservative = 	{ version = "0.1.1" }
-actix-web = 		{ version = "4.9.0" }
-actix-governor = 	{ version = "0.6.0" }
 log = 			{ version = "0.4.21" }
-openssl = 		{ version = "0.10.74", features = ["vendored"] }
-sha2 = 			{ version = "0.10.8" }
 serde = 		{ version = "1.0.152", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = 		{ version = "1.0.116" }
 sqlite = 		{ version = "0.34.0" }
 regex = 		{ version = "1.10.4" }
-reqwest = 		{ version = "0.12.24", features = ["json","socks"] }
-actix-rt = 		{ version = "2.10.0" }
 tokio = 		{ version = "1", features = ["rt", "net","macros","rt-multi-thread"] }
 url = 			{ version = "2" }
-zmq = 			{ version = "0.10.0" }
+
+# server-only
+actix-web = 		{ version = "4.9.0", optional = true }
+actix-governor = 	{ version = "0.6.0", optional = true }
+actix-rt = 		{ version = "2.10.0", optional = true }
+chrono = 		{ version = "0.4.40", optional = true }
+hex-conservative = 	{ version = "0.1.1", optional = true }
+
+# pusher-only
+zmq = 			{ version = "0.10.0", optional = true }
+reqwest = 		{ version = "0.12.24", features = ["json","socks"], optional = true }
+byteorder = 		{ version = "1.5.0", optional = true }
+base64 = 		{ version = "0.22.1", optional = true }
+ed25519-dalek = 	{ version = "2", features = ["pem", "pkcs8"], optional = true }
+sha2 = 			{ version = "0.10.8" }
+
+[profile.release]
+opt-level = "z"
+lto = true
+codegen-units = 1
+strip = true
+panic = "abort"
 
 [[bin]]
 name = "bal-server"
@@ -39,4 +54,3 @@ path = "src/bin/bal-server.rs"
 [[bin]]
 name = "bal-pusher"
 path = "src/bin/bal-pusher.rs"
-
diff --git a/src/bin/bal-pusher.rs b/src/bin/bal-pusher.rs
index 1302db2..3fae55a 100644
--- a/src/bin/bal-pusher.rs
+++ b/src/bin/bal-pusher.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use bitcoincore_rpc::{Auth, Client, Error, RpcApi, bitcoin};
 use bitcoincore_rpc_json::GetBlockchainInfoResult;
 
 use byteorder::{LittleEndian, ReadBytesExt};
+use ed25519_dalek::{Signer as _, SigningKey, pkcs8::DecodePrivateKey};
 use log::{debug, error, info, trace, warn};
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use serde::Serialize;
@@ -22,10 +23,7 @@ use zmq::{Context, DEALER, DONTWAIT, Socket};
 use bal_server::db::open_db;
 use bal_server::validation::is_valid_welist_url;
 use base64::{Engine as _, engine::general_purpose};
-use openssl::pkey::PKey;
-use openssl::sign::Signer;
 use reqwest::Client as rClient;
-use std::fs;
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use std::time::Instant;
 use url::Url;
@@ -558,14 +556,11 @@ async fn send_stats_report(
     Ok(())
 }
 fn sign_message(private_key_path: &str, message: &str) -> String {
-    let key_data = fs::read(private_key_path).unwrap();
+    let signing_key =
+        SigningKey::read_pkcs8_pem_file(private_key_path).expect("failed to parse private key PEM");
+    let signature = signing_key.sign(message.as_bytes());
 
-    let private_key = PKey::private_key_from_pem(&key_data).unwrap();
-    let mut signer = Signer::new_without_digest(&private_key).unwrap();
-
-    let signature = signer.sign_oneshot_to_vec(message.as_bytes()).unwrap();
-
-    general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(&signature)
+    general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(signature.to_bytes())
 }
 
 fn parse_env(cfg: &mut MyConfig) {