diff --git a/src/pipeline.ts b/src/pipeline.ts
index 5a80b00f..b048e555 100644
--- a/src/pipeline.ts
+++ b/src/pipeline.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { Sub } from '@/subs.ts';
 import { getTagSet } from '@/tags.ts';
 import { trends } from '@/trends.ts';
 import { eventAge, isRelay, nostrDate, Time } from '@/utils.ts';
+import { verifySignatureWorker } from '@/workers/verify.ts';
 
 import type { EventData } from '@/types.ts';
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ import type { EventData } from '@/types.ts';
  * It is idempotent, so it can be called multiple times for the same event.
  */
 async function handleEvent(event: Event): Promise<void> {
+  if (!(await verifySignatureWorker(event))) return;
   if (encounterEvent(event)) return;
   const data = await getEventData(event);
 
diff --git a/src/pool.ts b/src/pool.ts
index 5b5eea7c..6690cd02 100644
--- a/src/pool.ts
+++ b/src/pool.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { getActiveRelays } from '@/db/relays.ts';
 import { type Event, RelayPool } from '@/deps.ts';
 
 const allRelays = await getActiveRelays();
-const pool = new RelayPool(allRelays);
+const pool = new RelayPool(allRelays, { skipVerification: true });
 
 /** Publish an event to the given relays, or the entire pool. */
 function publish(event: Event, relays: string[] = allRelays) {
diff --git a/src/workers/verify.ts b/src/workers/verify.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..39f49e22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/workers/verify.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { Comlink, type Event } from '@/deps.ts';
+
+import type { VerifyWorker } from './verify.worker.ts';
+
+const worker = Comlink.wrap<typeof VerifyWorker>(
+  new Worker(new URL('./verify.worker.ts', import.meta.url), { type: 'module' }),
+);
+
+function verifySignatureWorker<K extends number>(event: Event<K>): Promise<boolean> {
+  return worker.verifySignature(event);
+}
+
+export { verifySignatureWorker };
diff --git a/src/workers/verify.worker.ts b/src/workers/verify.worker.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b9092a4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/workers/verify.worker.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { Comlink, type Event, type VerifiedEvent, verifySignature } from '@/deps.ts';
+
+export const VerifyWorker = {
+  verifySignature<K extends number>(event: Event<K>): event is VerifiedEvent<K> {
+    return verifySignature(event);
+  },
+};
+
+Comlink.expose(VerifyWorker);