diff --git a/.cargo/config.toml b/.cargo/config.toml
index 846bccb9d..5f0bd591a 100644
--- a/.cargo/config.toml
+++ b/.cargo/config.toml
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 [alias]
 xtask = "run --package xtask --"
 docs = "doc --workspace --all-features --no-deps"
-b = "bench --package builder --bench coordinator --"
-bs = "bench --package builder --bench coordinator -- --save-baseline"
-bc = "bench --package builder --bench coordinator -- --baseline main --save-baseline pr"
+bench = "bench --package builder --bench coordinator --"
+bench-save = "bench --package builder --bench coordinator -- --save-baseline"
+bench-cmp = "bench --package builder --bench coordinator -- --baseline main --save-baseline pr"
+prof-build = "build --profile profiling --features jemalloc --bin world-chain"
+prof-bench = "bench --profile profiling --package world-chain-builder --bench coordinator"
 
 [env]
 DEBUG = "info,flashblocks=debug,world_chain=info"
diff --git a/.github/scripts/build_pgo.sh b/.github/scripts/build_pgo.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..601a7547a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/build_pgo.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# PGO (Profile-Guided Optimization) build script for world-chain.
+#
+# This script automates the three-phase PGO workflow:
+#   1. Build with PGO instrumentation
+#   2. Collect profile data by running benchmarks
+#   3. Rebuild with PGO optimization applied
+#
+# Environment variables:
+#   FEATURES        - Cargo features (default: "jemalloc")
+#   PGO_DATA_DIR    - Directory for raw PGO data (default: /tmp/pgo-data)
+#   EXTRA_RUSTFLAGS - Additional RUSTFLAGS (default: "")
+#   SKIP_COLLECT    - Skip collection phase, use existing data (default: false)
+#   STRIP_SYMBOLS   - Strip debug symbols from final binary (default: false)
+#
+# Usage:
+#   .github/scripts/build_pgo.sh
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+FEATURES="${FEATURES:-jemalloc}"
+PGO_DATA_DIR="${PGO_DATA_DIR:-/tmp/pgo-data}"
+EXTRA_RUSTFLAGS="${EXTRA_RUSTFLAGS:-}"
+SKIP_COLLECT="${SKIP_COLLECT:-false}"
+STRIP_SYMBOLS="${STRIP_SYMBOLS:-false}"
+
+BIN="world-chain"
+PROFILE_BUILD="profiling"
+PROFILE_FINAL="maxperf"
+
+# Resolve llvm-profdata from the rustc sysroot
+SYSROOT=$(rustc --print sysroot)
+HOST_TRIPLE=$(rustc -vV | awk '/^host:/ { print $2 }')
+LLVM_PROFDATA="$SYSROOT/lib/rustlib/$HOST_TRIPLE/bin/llvm-profdata"
+
+if [[ ! -f "$LLVM_PROFDATA" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: llvm-profdata not found. Install llvm-tools-preview:"
+    echo "  rustup component add llvm-tools-preview"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "=== Phase 1: PGO Instrumented Build ==="
+mkdir -p "$PGO_DATA_DIR"
+
+RUSTFLAGS="-Cprofile-generate=$PGO_DATA_DIR -C target-cpu=native $EXTRA_RUSTFLAGS" \
+    cargo build --profile "$PROFILE_BUILD" --features "$FEATURES" --bin "$BIN"
+
+echo "Instrumented binary: target/$PROFILE_BUILD/$BIN"
+
+if [[ "$SKIP_COLLECT" != "true" ]]; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "=== Phase 2: Collect PGO Data ==="
+    echo "Running benchmarks to collect profile data..."
+
+    RUSTFLAGS="-Cprofile-generate=$PGO_DATA_DIR -C target-cpu=native $EXTRA_RUSTFLAGS" \
+        cargo bench --profile "$PROFILE_BUILD" \
+            --package world-chain-builder \
+            --bench coordinator \
+            -- --warm-up-time 3 --measurement-time 20
+
+    echo "Profile data collected in: $PGO_DATA_DIR"
+    echo "Files: $(find "$PGO_DATA_DIR" -name '*.profraw' | wc -l) .profraw files"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Phase 3: Merge Profile Data ==="
+"$LLVM_PROFDATA" merge -o "$PGO_DATA_DIR/merged.profdata" "$PGO_DATA_DIR"
+echo "Merged profile: $PGO_DATA_DIR/merged.profdata"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Phase 4: PGO Optimized Build ==="
+RUSTFLAGS="-Cprofile-use=$PGO_DATA_DIR/merged.profdata -C target-cpu=native $EXTRA_RUSTFLAGS" \
+    cargo build --profile "$PROFILE_FINAL" --features "$FEATURES" --bin "$BIN"
+
+if [[ "$STRIP_SYMBOLS" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "Stripping debug symbols..."
+    strip "target/$PROFILE_FINAL/$BIN"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Done ==="
+echo "PGO-optimized binary: target/$PROFILE_FINAL/$BIN"
+SIZE=$(ls -lh "target/$PROFILE_FINAL/$BIN" | awk '{print $5}')
+echo "Binary size: $SIZE"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/profiling.yml b/.github/workflows/profiling.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf75f0ef1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/profiling.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+name: Profiling Build
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      profile:
+        description: 'Cargo profile to build with'
+        required: true
+        default: 'profiling'
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - profiling
+          - maxperf
+      enable_pgo:
+        description: 'Enable PGO data collection and optimized rebuild'
+        required: false
+        default: false
+        type: boolean
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      profile:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+        default: 'profiling'
+      enable_pgo:
+        required: false
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
+
+env:
+  CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  build-profiling:
+    name: Build (${{ inputs.profile }})
+    runs-on: arc-public-8xlarge-amd64-runner
+    timeout-minutes: 120
+    env:
+      PROFILE: ${{ inputs.profile }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+
+      - name: Cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v5
+        continue-on-error: false
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.cargo/registry/index/
+            ~/.cargo/registry/cache/
+            ~/.cargo/git/db/
+          key: cargo-profiling-${{ hashFiles('**/Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: cargo-profiling-
+
+      - name: Build profiling binary
+        run: |
+          case "${PROFILE}" in
+            profiling|maxperf) ;;
+            *) echo "invalid profile: ${PROFILE}" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+          esac
+
+          RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native" \
+            cargo build --profile "${PROFILE}" \
+              --features jemalloc \
+              --bin world-chain
+
+      - name: Upload profiling binary
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: world-chain-${{ env.PROFILE }}-x86_64-linux
+          path: target/${{ env.PROFILE }}/world-chain
+          retention-days: 7
+
+  build-pgo:
+    name: PGO Build
+    if: ${{ inputs.enable_pgo }}
+    runs-on: arc-public-8xlarge-amd64-runner
+    timeout-minutes: 180
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+        with:
+          components: llvm-tools-preview
+
+      - name: Cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v5
+        continue-on-error: false
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.cargo/registry/index/
+            ~/.cargo/registry/cache/
+            ~/.cargo/git/db/
+          key: cargo-pgo-${{ hashFiles('**/Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: cargo-pgo-
+
+      - name: Phase 1 - PGO instrumented build
+        run: |
+          just build-pgo-instrumented
+
+      - name: Phase 2 - Collect PGO data via benchmarks
+        run: |
+          RUSTFLAGS="-Cprofile-generate=/tmp/pgo-data -C target-cpu=native" \
+            cargo bench --profile profiling \
+              --package world-chain-builder \
+              --bench coordinator \
+              -- --warm-up-time 5 --measurement-time 30
+
+      - name: Phase 3 - Merge PGO profile data
+        run: |
+          just merge-pgo
+
+      - name: Phase 4 - PGO optimized build
+        run: |
+          just build-pgo-optimized
+
+      - name: Upload PGO-optimized binary
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: world-chain-pgo-optimized-x86_64-linux
+          path: target/maxperf/world-chain
+          retention-days: 7
+
+      - name: Upload PGO profile data
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: pgo-profile-data
+          path: /tmp/pgo-data/merged.profdata
+          retention-days: 1
+
+  docker-profiling:
+    name: Docker profiling image
+    needs: build-profiling
+    runs-on: arc-public-8xlarge-amd64-runner
+    timeout-minutes: 90
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Build profiling Docker image
+        run: |
+          just docker-profiling
+
+      - name: Save Docker image
+        run: |
+          docker save world-chain:profiling | gzip > world-chain-profiling.tar.gz
+
+      - name: Upload Docker image
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: world-chain-docker-profiling
+          path: world-chain-profiling.tar.gz
+          retention-days: 3
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 500d47856..1b6455b86 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ inherits = "dev"
 [profile.verbose-tracing]
 inherits = "dev"
 
+[profile.profiling]
+inherits = "release"
+debug = "full"
+strip = "none"
 
 [workspace.lints]
 
diff --git a/Justfile b/Justfile
index c90c494bd..b38830648 100644
--- a/Justfile
+++ b/Justfile
@@ -51,3 +51,57 @@ docs:
 
 install *args='':
     cargo install --path bin/world-chain --locked $@
+
+# === Profiling ===
+
+# Build with profiling profile (release + debug symbols for perf/samply/flamegraph)
+build-profiling features='jemalloc':
+    RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native" cargo build --profile profiling --features {{ features }} --bin world-chain
+
+# Build with maxperf profile + native CPU targeting
+build-maxperf features='jemalloc':
+    RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native" cargo build --profile maxperf --features {{ features }} --bin world-chain
+
+# Build release targeting native CPU (without profiling symbols)
+build-native features='jemalloc':
+    RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native" cargo build --release --features {{ features }} --bin world-chain
+
+# Run benchmarks with profiling profile
+bench-profiling *args='':
+    RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native" cargo bench --profile profiling --package world-chain-builder --bench coordinator -- $@
+
+# Run playground with profiling build for profile data collection
+stress-profile *args='':
+    RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native" RUST_LOG="info" cargo run -p xtask --profile profiling -- launch-node --nodes 2 --spam --num-blocks 100 $@
+
+# Build Docker image with profiling profile
+docker-profiling features='jemalloc':
+    docker buildx build \
+        --build-arg PROFILE=profiling \
+        --build-arg FEATURES={{ features }} \
+        -t world-chain:profiling .
+
+# Build Docker image with maxperf profile
+docker-maxperf features='jemalloc':
+    docker buildx build \
+        --build-arg PROFILE=maxperf \
+        --build-arg FEATURES={{ features }} \
+        -t world-chain:maxperf .
+
+# === PGO (Profile-Guided Optimization) ===
+
+# PGO phase 1: build with instrumentation
+build-pgo-instrumented pgo_data_dir='/tmp/pgo-data' features='jemalloc':
+    mkdir -p {{ pgo_data_dir }}
+    RUSTFLAGS="-Cprofile-generate={{ pgo_data_dir }} -C target-cpu=native" \
+        cargo build --profile profiling --features {{ features }} --bin world-chain
+
+# Merge PGO profile data files into a single .profdata
+merge-pgo pgo_data_dir='/tmp/pgo-data':
+    $(rustc --print sysroot)/lib/rustlib/$(rustc -vV | awk '/^host:/ { print $2 }')/bin/llvm-profdata \
+        merge -o {{ pgo_data_dir }}/merged.profdata {{ pgo_data_dir }}
+
+# PGO phase 3: build with optimization using collected profile data
+build-pgo-optimized pgo_merged='/tmp/pgo-data/merged.profdata' features='jemalloc':
+    RUSTFLAGS="-Cprofile-use={{ pgo_merged }} -C target-cpu=native" \
+        cargo build --profile maxperf --features {{ features }} --bin world-chain