diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-npm.yaml b/.github/workflows/noop/publish-npm.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from .github/workflows/publish-npm.yaml
rename to .github/workflows/noop/publish-npm.yaml
diff --git a/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aa07d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/prepare-release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+name: "Prepare Release"
+
+# Gate 1 of the two-gate release flow ported from wire-sysio / wire-cdt
+# (their docs/release-workflow.md, "Strategy C"), adapted to this pnpm workspace.
+#
+# A human dispatches this with a bump TYPE; the bot bumps every package relative
+# to its own current version -- exactly what the previous publish-npm.yaml did
+# (`pnpm -r exec -- pnpm version <type>`), so the packages keep their independent
+# tracks (core on 1.0.x, wallet on 0.1.x) -- and opens a version-bump PR. Nothing
+# is tagged or published here, and NOTHING is pushed directly to master: the bump
+# reaches master only when a human merges the PR, so the org-wide "pull request
+# required" ruleset stays satisfied without any bypass.
+#
+# The bump type decides the channel: `prerelease` produces a `-<preid>.N` suffix
+# (channel = that preid, e.g. dev/rc); patch/minor/major produce a stable
+# version. Tag Release derives the same channel from the resulting suffix.
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      bump:
+        description: "Version bump applied to every package, relative to its own current version"
+        type: choice
+        required: true
+        default: patch
+        options:
+          - patch
+          - minor
+          - major
+          - prerelease
+      preid:
+        description: "Prerelease identifier (only used when bump = prerelease); becomes the npm channel/dist-tag"
+        type: string
+        required: false
+        default: "dev"
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash
+
+# One prep run per bump type, and never cancel one mid-flight: a cancelled run can
+# leave a pushed prep branch with no PR opened for it.
+concurrency:
+  group: prepare-release-${{ inputs.bump }}-${{ inputs.preid }}
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  prepare:
+    name: Open the version-bump PR
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+      # Dispatch inputs are passed as env vars and NEVER interpolated into a script
+      # body, so their values stay inert data.
+      BUMP: ${{ inputs.bump }}
+      PREID: ${{ inputs.preid }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5 # v4.3.1
+        with:
+          ref: master
+          # Unshallowed so origin/<prep-branch> exists for --force-with-lease.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Setup pnpm
+        uses: pnpm/action-setup@b906affcce14559ad1aafd4ab0e942779e9f58b1 # v4.3.0
+
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@49933ea5288caeca8642d1e84afbd3f7d6820020 # v4.4.0
+        with:
+          node-version: 24
+
+      - name: Bump every package on its own track
+        id: bump
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          # sdk-core is the representative "core" package: the four core packages
+          # share one number, so its version names the release (the tag, the
+          # branch, the PR title). The wallet packages bump on their own 0.1.x
+          # track in the same command and are not the headline number.
+          core_manifest="packages/sdk-core/package.json"
+          previous="$(node -p "require('./${core_manifest}').version")"
+
+          # Relative bump in EACH package -- the exact mechanism publish-npm.yaml
+          # used. --no-git-tag-version: change the files only, no tag/commit here.
+          if [[ "$BUMP" == "prerelease" ]]; then
+            pnpm -r exec -- pnpm version prerelease --preid "$PREID" --no-git-tag-version
+          else
+            pnpm -r exec -- pnpm version "$BUMP" --no-git-tag-version
+          fi
+
+          version="$(node -p "require('./${core_manifest}').version")"
+          if [[ "$version" == "$previous" ]]; then
+            echo "::error::Bump produced no version change (${previous}). Nothing to prepare." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          # The channel is the resulting suffix -- the "suffix IS the channel"
+          # principle from wire-sysio/wire-cdt. No suffix => stable; a
+          # `-<preid>.N` suffix => that preid is the channel.
+          if [[ "$version" == *-* ]]; then
+            suffix="${version#*-}"
+            channel="${suffix%%.*}"
+          else
+            channel="stable"
+          fi
+
+          # Refresh the lockfile so it reflects the bumped versions (hygiene;
+          # CI installs with --no-frozen-lockfile, so it is not a hard gate).
+          pnpm install --lockfile-only --ignore-scripts
+
+          {
+            echo "previous=$previous"
+            echo "version=$version"
+            echo "channel=$channel"
+            echo "branch=release/prep-v${version}"
+          } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+          echo "Prepared ${BUMP} bump: sdk-core ${previous} -> ${version} (channel ${channel})"
+
+      - name: Open the bump PR
+        env:
+          BRANCH: ${{ steps.bump.outputs.branch }}
+          PREVIOUS: ${{ steps.bump.outputs.previous }}
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}
+          CHANNEL: ${{ steps.bump.outputs.channel }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git checkout -b "$BRANCH"
+          git add package.json packages/*/package.json examples/*/package.json pnpm-lock.yaml
+          git commit -m "chore(release): ${BUMP} bump -> v${VERSION} (${CHANNEL})"
+          # --force-with-lease, not a bare push: re-dispatching the same bump must
+          # replace the previous attempt's branch tip instead of failing
+          # non-fast-forward, while still refusing to clobber a tip someone else
+          # moved since this run's fetch.
+          git push --force-with-lease origin "$BRANCH"
+
+          # NOTE: a PR opened with GITHUB_TOKEN starts its checks in an
+          # approval-required state -- gate 1 includes an "Approve and run" click.
+          # printf, not a heredoc: every body line must start at column 0.
+          body="$(printf '%s\n' \
+            "\`${BUMP}\` bump (channel: **${CHANNEL}**). Core packages: \`${PREVIOUS}\` -> \`${VERSION}\`." \
+            "" \
+            "- Every package bumped relative to its own version, so the wallet packages stay on their own track." \
+            "- Internal \`workspace:*\` deps are rewritten to concrete versions at publish time." \
+            "" \
+            "After merging, dispatch **Tag Release** to tag master and publish the merged versions.")"
+          gh pr create \
+            --base master \
+            --head "$BRANCH" \
+            --title "chore(release): ${BUMP} bump v${VERSION} (${CHANNEL})" \
+            --body "$body"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tag-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/tag-release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..127a57f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/tag-release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+name: "Tag Release"
+
+# Gate 2 of the two-gate release flow (see prepare-release.yaml). The job runs
+# under the `release` Environment, so it PAUSES for a required reviewer before it
+# creates anything. After approval it reads the version the merged prepare PR put
+# on master, runs the build/test gate, publishes every workspace package to npm on
+# the version's channel, tags master, and publishes a GitHub release. Nothing is
+# pushed to master here, so the org-wide "pull request required" ruleset needs no
+# bypass.
+#
+# No inputs: the release version is whatever master currently carries. Its suffix
+# IS the channel: no suffix => stable => npm dist-tag `latest`; a `-<preid>.N`
+# suffix => that preid is the dist-tag (e.g. dev, rc). The two human gates
+# (dispatch + Environment approval) are the safety, not a typed version.
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write # create the tag + the GitHub release
+  id-token: write # npm provenance
+
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash
+
+concurrency:
+  group: tag-release
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  tag:
+    name: Tag master and publish
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Required reviewers on this Environment are gate 2 -- nothing below runs until
+    # a human approves the deployment.
+    environment: release
+    env:
+      GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5 # v4.3.1
+        with:
+          ref: master
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Setup pnpm
+        uses: pnpm/action-setup@b906affcce14559ad1aafd4ab0e942779e9f58b1 # v4.3.0
+
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@49933ea5288caeca8642d1e84afbd3f7d6820020 # v4.4.0
+        with:
+          node-version: 24
+          registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org
+
+      - name: Resolve the release version and channel from master
+        id: resolve
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+
+          # sdk-core names the release, the same representative package
+          # prepare-release.yaml bumps and reports. The wallet packages publish on
+          # their own track in the same run; they are not the headline number.
+          version="$(node -p "require('./packages/sdk-core/package.json').version")"
+
+          # The suffix IS the channel -> npm dist-tag. No suffix => latest; a
+          # `-<preid>.N` suffix => that preid (dev, rc, ...).
+          if [[ "$version" == *-* ]]; then
+            prerelease="true"
+            suffix="${version#*-}"
+            dist_tag="${suffix%%.*}"
+          else
+            prerelease="false"
+            dist_tag="latest"
+          fi
+
+          tag="v${version}"
+          if gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/ref/tags/${tag}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "::error::Tag ${tag} already exists. Prepare the next bump instead of re-tagging." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          {
+            echo "version=$version"
+            echo "tag=$tag"
+            echo "sha=$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
+            echo "prerelease=$prerelease"
+            echo "dist_tag=$dist_tag"
+          } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+          echo "Releasing ${tag} on $(git rev-parse HEAD) (npm dist-tag ${dist_tag})"
+
+      # Gate the release on the same build + root jest run CI uses.
+      - name: Install, build and test
+        env:
+          JEST_JUNIT_OUTPUT_DIR: reports/junit
+          JEST_JUNIT_OUTPUT_NAME: jest-junit.xml
+        run: |
+          # --no-frozen-lockfile to match ci.yaml / publish-npm.yaml: the OPP
+          # models are resolved via .pnpmfile.cjs, not locked, so a frozen install
+          # fails on the resulting lockfile drift.
+          pnpm install --ignore-scripts --no-frozen-lockfile
+          pnpm run build
+          pnpm run test:ci
+
+      # npm is the irreversible step -- do it once the gate is green, BEFORE
+      # tagging, so a failed publish leaves no dangling tag to trip the
+      # "tag already exists" guard on the retry.
+      - name: Publish to npm
+        env:
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
+          DIST_TAG: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.dist_tag }}
+        run: |
+          # Publishes all non-private workspace packages in dependency order on the
+          # channel's dist-tag; `workspace:*` deps are rewritten to concrete
+          # versions. --no-git-checks avoids failure in CI environments.
+          pnpm -r publish --access public --no-git-checks --provenance --tag "$DIST_TAG"
+
+      - name: Create the annotated tag
+        env:
+          TAG: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.tag }}
+          SHA: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.sha }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          # An annotated tag is TWO API calls in order: the tag object, then the
+          # ref that points at it. `gh release create --verify-tag` needs the ref.
+          tag_sha="$(
+            gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/tags" -X POST \
+              -f tag="$TAG" -f message="$TAG" -f object="$SHA" -f type=commit --jq .sha
+          )"
+          gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/git/refs" -X POST \
+            -f ref="refs/tags/${TAG}" -f sha="$tag_sha" > /dev/null
+          echo "Created annotated tag ${TAG} -> ${SHA}"
+
+      - name: Publish the GitHub release
+        env:
+          TAG: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.tag }}
+          PRERELEASE: ${{ steps.resolve.outputs.prerelease }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          args=(--verify-tag --title "$TAG" --generate-notes)
+          if [[ "$PRERELEASE" == "true" ]]; then
+            args+=(--prerelease)
+          fi
+          gh release create "$TAG" "${args[@]}"