diff --git a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/accept-invitation.ts b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/accept-invitation.ts
index 4a71d4d6..8ce075ab 100644
--- a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/accept-invitation.ts
+++ b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/accept-invitation.ts
@@ -19,16 +19,18 @@ export const acceptInvitation = ({
     previousEventHash,
   };
   const encodedTransaction = stringToUint8Array(canonicalize(transaction));
-  const signature = secp256k1
-    .sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), { prehash: true })
-    .toCompactHex();
+  const signatureResult = secp256k1.sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), {
+    prehash: true,
+  });
 
   return Effect.succeed({
     transaction,
     author: {
       accountId: author.accountId,
-      publicKey: author.signaturePublicKey,
-      signature,
+      signature: {
+        hex: signatureResult.toCompactHex(),
+        recovery: signatureResult.recovery,
+      },
     },
   });
 };
diff --git a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/apply-event.ts b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/apply-event.ts
index 5214c404..b2085c1a 100644
--- a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/apply-event.ts
+++ b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/apply-event.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import { secp256k1 } from '@noble/curves/secp256k1';
+import { sha256 } from '@noble/hashes/sha256';
 import { Effect, Schema } from 'effect';
 import type { ParseError } from 'effect/ParseResult';
-
-import { canonicalize, hexToBytes, stringToUint8Array } from '../utils/index.js';
+import { canonicalize, stringToUint8Array } from '../utils/index.js';
 import { hashEvent } from './hash-event.js';
 import {
   InvalidEventError,
@@ -41,16 +41,15 @@ export const applyEvent = ({
 
   const encodedTransaction = stringToUint8Array(canonicalize(event.transaction));
 
-  const isValidSignature = secp256k1.verify(
-    event.author.signature,
-    encodedTransaction,
-    hexToBytes(event.author.publicKey),
-    {
-      prehash: true,
-    },
-  );
+  let signatureInstance = secp256k1.Signature.fromCompact(event.author.signature.hex);
+  signatureInstance = signatureInstance.addRecoveryBit(event.author.signature.recovery);
+  // @ts-expect-error
+  const authorPublicKey = signatureInstance.recoverPublicKey(sha256(encodedTransaction));
+  // TODO compare it to the public key from the author accountId (this already verifies the signature)
+  // in case of a failure we return Effect.fail(new VerifySignatureError());
 
-  if (!isValidSignature) {
+  // biome-ignore lint/correctness/noConstantCondition: wip
+  if (false) {
     return Effect.fail(new VerifySignatureError());
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-invitation.ts b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-invitation.ts
index 288f65c4..9fa7586b 100644
--- a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-invitation.ts
+++ b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-invitation.ts
@@ -24,16 +24,18 @@ export const createInvitation = ({
     previousEventHash,
   };
   const encodedTransaction = stringToUint8Array(canonicalize(transaction));
-  const signature = secp256k1
-    .sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), { prehash: true })
-    .toCompactHex();
+  const signatureResult = secp256k1.sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), {
+    prehash: true,
+  });
 
   return Effect.succeed({
     transaction,
     author: {
       accountId: author.accountId,
-      publicKey: author.signaturePublicKey,
-      signature,
+      signature: {
+        hex: signatureResult.toCompactHex(),
+        recovery: signatureResult.recovery,
+      },
     },
   });
 };
diff --git a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-space.ts b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-space.ts
index f735b127..a071da7f 100644
--- a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-space.ts
+++ b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/create-space.ts
@@ -15,16 +15,18 @@ export const createSpace = ({ author }: Params): Effect.Effect<CreateSpaceEvent,
     creatorAccountId: author.accountId,
   };
   const encodedTransaction = stringToUint8Array(canonicalize(transaction));
-  const signature = secp256k1
-    .sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), { prehash: true })
-    .toCompactHex();
+  const signatureResult = secp256k1.sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), {
+    prehash: true,
+  });
 
   const event: CreateSpaceEvent = {
     transaction,
     author: {
       accountId: author.accountId,
-      publicKey: author.signaturePublicKey,
-      signature,
+      signature: {
+        hex: signatureResult.toCompactHex(),
+        recovery: signatureResult.recovery,
+      },
     },
   };
 
diff --git a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/delete-space.ts b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/delete-space.ts
index 5d56d988..f4e4962a 100644
--- a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/delete-space.ts
+++ b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/delete-space.ts
@@ -18,16 +18,18 @@ export const deleteSpace = ({ author, id, previousEventHash }: Params): Effect.E
     previousEventHash,
   };
   const encodedTransaction = stringToUint8Array(canonicalize(transaction));
-  const signature = secp256k1
-    .sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), { prehash: true })
-    .toCompactHex();
+  const signatureResult = secp256k1.sign(encodedTransaction, hexToBytes(author.signaturePrivateKey), {
+    prehash: true,
+  });
 
   const event: DeleteSpaceEvent = {
     transaction,
     author: {
       accountId: author.accountId,
-      publicKey: author.signaturePublicKey,
-      signature,
+      signature: {
+        hex: signatureResult.toCompactHex(),
+        recovery: signatureResult.recovery,
+      },
     },
   };
   return Effect.succeed(event);
diff --git a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/types.ts b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/types.ts
index 191f739a..3fe06568 100644
--- a/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/types.ts
+++ b/packages/hypergraph/src/space-events/types.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import * as Schema from 'effect/Schema';
+import { SignatureWithRecovery } from '../types.js';
 
 export const EventAuthor = Schema.Struct({
   accountId: Schema.String,
-  // must be validated if it belongs to the accountId before being used
-  // Note: could be removed, but also might be useful to keep around in case accounts rotate their keys
-  publicKey: Schema.String,
-  signature: Schema.String,
+  signature: SignatureWithRecovery,
 });
 
 export type EventAuthor = Schema.Schema.Type<typeof Author>;
diff --git a/packages/hypergraph/src/types.ts b/packages/hypergraph/src/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..288362a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/hypergraph/src/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import * as Schema from 'effect/Schema';
+
+export const SignatureWithRecovery = Schema.Struct({
+  hex: Schema.String,
+  recovery: Schema.Number,
+});
+
+export type SignatureWithRecovery = Schema.Schema.Type<typeof SignatureWithRecovery>;