diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 758f2ea..e57ade3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -167,6 +167,18 @@ The local evaluator path is intentionally constrained. Local development default
 
 Authentication is `x-api-key` with scoped access. Revocation additionally requires issuer authorization headers: `x-issuer-id`, `x-signature-timestamp`, and `x-issuer-signature`.
 
+For the public TrustSignal verification surface, the simplest production setup is now:
+
+- `TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY=<live-key>`
+- optional `TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES=verify|read`
+
+Multi-key deployments can still use:
+
+- `API_KEYS`
+- `API_KEY_SCOPES`
+
+When `TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY` is set, the API accepts that key even if it is not duplicated in `API_KEYS`. This avoids drift between GitHub Actions secrets and backend allowlists for the common single-key deployment path.
+
 The repository also still includes a legacy JWT-authenticated `/v1/*` surface used by the current JavaScript SDK:
 
 - `POST /v1/verify-bundle`
diff --git a/apps/api/.env.example b/apps/api/.env.example
index c3692b5..d0d7ac8 100644
--- a/apps/api/.env.example
+++ b/apps/api/.env.example
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ ZK_ORACLE_URL=https://zk-oracle.internal/registry-jobs
 API_KEYS=example_local_key_id
 API_KEY_SCOPES=example_local_key_id=verify|read|anchor|revoke
 API_KEY_DEFAULT_SCOPES=verify,read,anchor,revoke
+# Canonical single-key configuration for the public TrustSignal API surface.
+# When set, this key is accepted even if it is omitted from API_KEYS.
+# Default scopes are verify|read unless TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES is set to a non-empty value.
+TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY=
+TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES=verify|read
 REVOCATION_ISSUERS=issuer-dev=0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
 REVOCATION_SIGNATURE_MAX_SKEW_MS=300000
 CORS_ALLOWLIST=http://localhost:3000
diff --git a/apps/api/src/security.ts b/apps/api/src/security.ts
index 4574946..fe30c04 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/security.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/security.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { type JWK } from 'jose';
 
 const DEFAULT_API_KEY = 'example_local_key_id';
 const DEFAULT_SCOPES = ['verify', 'read', 'anchor', 'revoke'];
+const DEFAULT_TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES = ['verify', 'read'];
 const DEFAULT_DEV_CORS_ORIGINS = [
   'http://localhost:3000',
   'http://127.0.0.1:3000',
@@ -76,6 +77,18 @@ function parseScopes(value: string | undefined): Set<string> {
   return scopes.length ? new Set(scopes) : new Set(DEFAULT_SCOPES);
 }
 
+function parsePipeSeparatedScopes(value: string | undefined, fallback: string[]): Set<string> {
+  const raw = (value || '').trim();
+  if (!raw) return new Set(fallback);
+
+  const scopes = raw
+    .split('|')
+    .map((scope) => scope.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean);
+
+  return scopes.length ? new Set(scopes) : new Set(fallback);
+}
+
 function parseApiKeyScopeMapping(value: string | undefined): Map<string, Set<string>> {
   const result = new Map<string, Set<string>>();
   if (!value) return result;
@@ -230,16 +243,28 @@ export function buildSecurityConfig(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): Secur
   const nodeEnv = env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
   const defaultScopes = parseScopes(env.API_KEY_DEFAULT_SCOPES);
   const scopedMappings = parseApiKeyScopeMapping(env.API_KEY_SCOPES);
+  const trustSignalApiKey = (env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY || '').trim();
+  const trustSignalApiKeyScopes = parsePipeSeparatedScopes(
+    env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES,
+    DEFAULT_TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES
+  );
 
   const apiKeys = parseList(env.API_KEYS);
+  if (trustSignalApiKey && !apiKeys.includes(trustSignalApiKey)) {
+    apiKeys.push(trustSignalApiKey);
+  }
   const resolvedApiKeys = apiKeys.length > 0 ? apiKeys : nodeEnv === 'production' ? [] : [DEFAULT_API_KEY];
 
   if (nodeEnv === 'production' && resolvedApiKeys.length === 0) {
-    throw new Error('API_KEYS is required in production');
+    throw new Error('API_KEYS or TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY is required in production');
   }
 
   const keyMap = new Map<string, Set<string>>();
   for (const key of resolvedApiKeys) {
+    if (key === trustSignalApiKey) {
+      keyMap.set(key, scopedMappings.get(key) ?? trustSignalApiKeyScopes);
+      continue;
+    }
     keyMap.set(key, scopedMappings.get(key) ?? new Set(defaultScopes));
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/api/security-config.test.ts b/tests/api/security-config.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a2ce14e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/api/security-config.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import { generateKeyPairSync } from 'node:crypto';
+
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { buildSecurityConfig } from '../../apps/api/src/security.js';
+
+type EnvSnapshot = Record<string, string | undefined>;
+
+function snapshotEnv(keys: string[]): EnvSnapshot {
+  return Object.fromEntries(keys.map((key) => [key, process.env[key]]));
+}
+
+function restoreEnv(snapshot: EnvSnapshot) {
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(snapshot)) {
+    if (value === undefined) {
+      delete process.env[key];
+      continue;
+    }
+    process.env[key] = value;
+  }
+}
+
+function applyProductionReceiptSigningEnv() {
+  const { privateKey, publicKey } = generateKeyPairSync('ed25519');
+  process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_RECEIPT_SIGNING_PRIVATE_JWK = JSON.stringify(privateKey.export({ format: 'jwk' }));
+  process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_RECEIPT_SIGNING_PUBLIC_JWK = JSON.stringify(publicKey.export({ format: 'jwk' }));
+  process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_RECEIPT_SIGNING_KID = 'test-kid';
+}
+
+describe('API security config', () => {
+  let envSnapshot: EnvSnapshot;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    envSnapshot = snapshotEnv([
+      'NODE_ENV',
+      'API_KEYS',
+      'API_KEY_SCOPES',
+      'API_KEY_DEFAULT_SCOPES',
+      'TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY',
+      'TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES',
+      'TRUSTSIGNAL_RECEIPT_SIGNING_PRIVATE_JWK',
+      'TRUSTSIGNAL_RECEIPT_SIGNING_PUBLIC_JWK',
+      'TRUSTSIGNAL_RECEIPT_SIGNING_KID'
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    restoreEnv(envSnapshot);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY without duplicating it in API_KEYS', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'production';
+    delete process.env.API_KEYS;
+    delete process.env.API_KEY_SCOPES;
+    delete process.env.API_KEY_DEFAULT_SCOPES;
+    process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY = 'canonical-live-key';
+    delete process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES;
+    applyProductionReceiptSigningEnv();
+
+    const config = buildSecurityConfig();
+
+    expect(config.apiKeys.has('canonical-live-key')).toBe(true);
+    expect(Array.from(config.apiKeys.get('canonical-live-key') ?? [])).toEqual(['verify', 'read']);
+  });
+
+  it('allows TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES to override the canonical key scopes', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'production';
+    delete process.env.API_KEYS;
+    delete process.env.API_KEY_SCOPES;
+    process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY = 'canonical-live-key';
+    process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES = 'verify|read|anchor';
+    applyProductionReceiptSigningEnv();
+
+    const config = buildSecurityConfig();
+
+    expect(Array.from(config.apiKeys.get('canonical-live-key') ?? [])).toEqual(['verify', 'read', 'anchor']);
+  });
+
+  it('still fails fast in production when no API key source is configured', () => {
+    process.env.NODE_ENV = 'production';
+    delete process.env.API_KEYS;
+    delete process.env.API_KEY_SCOPES;
+    delete process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY;
+    delete process.env.TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY_SCOPES;
+    applyProductionReceiptSigningEnv();
+
+    expect(() => buildSecurityConfig()).toThrow('API_KEYS or TRUSTSIGNAL_API_KEY is required in production');
+  });
+});