diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/trust/anchor.rs b/core/archipelago/src/trust/anchor.rs
index 8498532e..30bfe0a6 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/trust/anchor.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/trust/anchor.rs
@@ -16,13 +16,28 @@ use ed25519_dalek::VerifyingKey;
 
 /// Hex of the pinned Ed25519 release-root public key (32 bytes / 64 hex chars).
 ///
-/// Pinned 2026-07-02 from the release-root signing ceremony
-/// (signer did:key:z6MkkidEnEpo6qHMCNSZoNKWtvQvxq3whnaME9wGgEFhq7ur). The
+/// ROTATED 2026-08-04 to did:key:z6Mkfu5LT8d4DjETtrkATvHh9Dvcbnr7zBCUwfau8Sw7DLWT.
+///
+/// The previous root (z6Mkkid…q7ur, pinned 2026-07-02) was exposed in a chat
+/// transcript and is treated as compromised.
+///
+/// Rotation is ORDERING-CRITICAL. Nodes pin the OLD key, so the release that
+/// carries this change must itself be signed with the OLD key — that is the
+/// only signature a node running the previous binary will accept. Only the
+/// release AFTER it may be signed with the new key. Signing the rotation
+/// release with the new key makes every node reject it and ends OTA
+/// fleet-wide, recoverable only by touching each node by hand.
+///
+/// Verified before pinning: this hex and the did:key above are the same
+/// keypair (the did:key encodes exactly these 32 bytes), checked with a
+/// decoder round-tripped against the previous known-good pair. An earlier
+/// candidate hex was rejected because it did not match the stated DID.
+/// The
 /// corresponding mnemonic is held offline by the publisher — see
 /// `docs/workstream-b-signing-runbook.md`. Regenerate/verify with:
 /// `RELEASE_MASTER_MNEMONIC=… archipelago ceremony pubkey`.
 pub const RELEASE_ROOT_PUBKEY_HEX: Option<&str> =
-    Some("5d15cbee8a108f7dd288c02d29a1d9d71f198acc99186aad8008b4f28d469951");
+    Some("1578adccf137024159dd936f44a56e8869ac7775785962f7e92e2faf2c034418");
 
 const ENV_OVERRIDE: &str = "ARCHY_RELEASE_ROOT_PUBKEY";
 
diff --git a/scripts/create-release.sh b/scripts/create-release.sh
index c35ddb11..d836ff9b 100755
--- a/scripts/create-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/create-release.sh
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ install -m 0644 "$FRONTEND_ARCHIVE" "$VERSION_DIR/archipelago-frontend-${VERSION
 # warning and falls through — and the commit then happened anyway. A release
 # commit carrying a manifest no node will accept has no valid use, so refuse
 # to create one rather than leave a tag that has to be re-cut.
-EXPECTED_DID="did:key:z6MkkidEnEpo6qHMCNSZoNKWtvQvxq3whnaME9wGgEFhq7ur"
+EXPECTED_DID="did:key:z6Mkfu5LT8d4DjETtrkATvHh9Dvcbnr7zBCUwfau8Sw7DLWT"
 if ! grep -q '"signature":' "$PROJECT_ROOT/releases/manifest.json" \
     || ! grep -q "\"signed_by\": \"$EXPECTED_DID\"" "$PROJECT_ROOT/releases/manifest.json"; then
     echo "" >&2
diff --git a/scripts/publish-release-assets.sh b/scripts/publish-release-assets.sh
index 1650d0a9..04f67c68 100755
--- a/scripts/publish-release-assets.sh
+++ b/scripts/publish-release-assets.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ fail() { echo "Error: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
 # with the pinned release-root anchor refuse to auto-apply unsigned manifests,
 # and enforcement will tighten to hard-reject — an unsigned publish would
 # strand them. Grep proves presence; ceremony verify proves the crypto.
-EXPECTED_DID="did:key:z6MkkidEnEpo6qHMCNSZoNKWtvQvxq3whnaME9wGgEFhq7ur"
+EXPECTED_DID="did:key:z6Mkfu5LT8d4DjETtrkATvHh9Dvcbnr7zBCUwfau8Sw7DLWT"
 grep -q '"signature":' "$PROJECT_ROOT/releases/manifest.json" \
     && grep -q "\"signed_by\": \"$EXPECTED_DID\"" "$PROJECT_ROOT/releases/manifest.json" \
     || fail "releases/manifest.json is not signed by the release root — run: bash scripts/sign-manifest.sh"
diff --git a/scripts/sign-catalog.sh b/scripts/sign-catalog.sh
index c9ea3727..71ea7021 100755
--- a/scripts/sign-catalog.sh
+++ b/scripts/sign-catalog.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 REPO="/home/archipelago/Projects/archy"
 CATALOG="$REPO/releases/app-catalog.json"
-EXPECTED_DID="did:key:z6MkkidEnEpo6qHMCNSZoNKWtvQvxq3whnaME9wGgEFhq7ur"
+EXPECTED_DID="did:key:z6Mkfu5LT8d4DjETtrkATvHh9Dvcbnr7zBCUwfau8Sw7DLWT"
 
 # Use ONLY the prebuilt signer. If it isn't ready, stop cleanly — never compile
 # here (compiling caused the earlier hangs). Claude builds it in the background.