diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 60f6e4b..87cd927 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ PUBLIC_URL=http://${PUBLIC_HOST}:8096
 # link from it. Mirrors Ingress's "you must be at the portal" rule.
 CLAIM_RADIUS_METERS=40
 
-# BTC Map sync area — defaults to Madeira, Portugal (Funchal-centered).
-# See DESIGN.md for why this scope was chosen first.
-BTCMAP_CENTER_LAT=32.7607
-BTCMAP_CENTER_LON=-16.9595
-BTCMAP_RADIUS_KM=45
+# BTC Map API base — global sync pulls every place worldwide (paginated,
+# incremental via a stored watermark). Override only for pointing at a mock
+# server in tests.
+BTCMAP_API_BASE_URL=https://api.btcmap.org
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8ed0dfb..9010c65 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ A location-based capture game in the spirit of *Ingress*, built as a nostr-nativ
 web app. Real Bitcoin-accepting businesses from [BTC Map](https://btcmap.org)
 stand in for Ingress's portals — players physically visit them to claim them
 for their team (orange or green), then link claimed places into triangular
-control fields. First scope: **Madeira, Portugal**.
+control fields. **Global** — every BTC Map place worldwide (~29k live, plus
+historical deletions tracked so delisted businesses correctly drop out).
+Started as a Madeira, Portugal-only pilot; see git history/`DESIGN.md` for
+that phase.
 
 See [`DESIGN.md`](./DESIGN.md) for the full research/design writeup.
 
@@ -12,7 +15,9 @@ See [`DESIGN.md`](./DESIGN.md) for the full research/design writeup.
 
 - `server/` — Fastify + better-sqlite3 + nostr-tools (TypeScript), same pattern
   as [podsteadr](http://146.59.87.168:3000/ssmithx/podsteadr).
-- `frontend/` — Vue 3 + Vite + Pinia + Tailwind + Leaflet.
+- `frontend/` — Vue 3 + Vite + Pinia + Tailwind + Leaflet (+
+  `leaflet.markercluster` — required at global scale; tens of thousands of
+  raw markers would choke the DOM otherwise).
 - Auth is NIP-98 (signed-event login → session cookie), same as podsteadr.
   `frontend/public/nostr-provider.js` is vendored so the app can also be
   launched identity-aware from inside an Archipelago dashboard, the same way
@@ -33,8 +38,43 @@ npm run dev         # http://localhost:5173, proxies /api to :8096
 ```
 
 On first run, the `places` table is empty — call `POST /api/sync` (or click
-"Sync from BTC Map" in the UI) to pull the current Madeira dataset from BTC
-Map's public API.
+"Sync from BTC Map" in the UI) to pull the current worldwide dataset from BTC
+Map's public API (~29k places, a few seconds, single request — see "Global
+sync" below for why it's one request rather than paginated).
+
+## Global sync
+
+`POST /api/sync` pulls **every** BTC Map place worldwide via the
+chronological `/v4/places` endpoint, incrementally: a watermark
+(`btcmap_synced_since` in the `settings` table) tracks the last sync's
+newest `updated_at`, and each subsequent call only fetches what changed
+since then — call it as often as you like (e.g. a cron hitting it hourly)
+without re-pulling the full dataset every time.
+
+Deleted places (BTC Map returns these too, via `include_deleted=true`) are
+evicted locally — `ON DELETE CASCADE` on `claims`/`links` means a delisted
+business correctly loses its claim and any links through it, not just the
+place row.
+
+**Why one unpaginated request, not BTC Map's own recommended
+`updated_since`+`limit` pagination loop:** tried that first. BTC Map's
+`updated_at` timestamps mix millisecond-precision and whole-second values,
+and naive string comparison across mixed precision isn't chronologically
+safe (`"...27Z"` sorts *after* `"...27.137Z"` lexicographically, even though
+`.137` happened later within that same second) — this silently truncated a
+real sync to the first ~4,000 of ~42,000 records with no error, since the
+pagination cursor got stuck comparing strings instead of real timestamps.
+Measured the alternative instead: omitting `limit` entirely just returns the
+whole dataset — currently ~42k records including historical deletions, ~9MB
+uncompressed, in 2-3 seconds. Simpler and correct beats "matches the docs'
+suggested pattern" here. `services/btcmap.ts` has the full writeup;
+`services/btcmap.test.ts` has a regression test for the specific
+mixed-precision comparison bug. Revisit with real pagination (numeric/parsed
+timestamp cursor, not string comparison) if the dataset ever grows enough to
+make a single request unwieldy.
+
+Response payloads (`/api/places` is the big one, tens of thousands of rows)
+are compressed (`@fastify/compress`, gzip/brotli/zstd auto-negotiated).
 
 ## Game rules (v0)
 
diff --git a/frontend/package-lock.json b/frontend/package-lock.json
index c03f400..8dd128d 100644
--- a/frontend/package-lock.json
+++ b/frontend/package-lock.json
@@ -9,12 +9,14 @@
       "version": "0.1.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "leaflet": "^1.9.4",
+        "leaflet.markercluster": "^1.5.3",
         "nostr-tools": "^2.24.1",
         "pinia": "^3.0.0",
         "vue": "^3.5.0"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@types/leaflet": "^1.9.12",
+        "@types/leaflet.markercluster": "^1.5.6",
         "@vitejs/plugin-vue": "^6.0.0",
         "autoprefixer": "^10.4.20",
         "postcss": "^8.5.0",
@@ -1074,6 +1076,16 @@
         "@types/geojson": "*"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@types/leaflet.markercluster": {
+      "version": "1.5.6",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/leaflet.markercluster/-/leaflet.markercluster-1.5.6.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-I7hZjO2+isVXGYWzKxBp8PsCzAYCJBc29qBdFpquOCkS7zFDqUsUvkEOyQHedsk/Cy5tocQzf+Ndorm5W9YKTQ==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@types/leaflet": "^1.9"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/@vitejs/plugin-vue": {
       "version": "6.0.8",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@vitejs/plugin-vue/-/plugin-vue-6.0.8.tgz",
@@ -1862,6 +1874,15 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-nxS1ynzJOmOlHp+iL3FyWqK89GtNL8U8rvlMOsQdTTssxZwCXh8N2NB3GDQOL+YR3XnWyZAxwQixURb+FA74PA==",
       "license": "BSD-2-Clause"
     },
+    "node_modules/leaflet.markercluster": {
+      "version": "1.5.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/leaflet.markercluster/-/leaflet.markercluster-1.5.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-vPTw/Bndq7eQHjLBVlWpnGeLa3t+3zGiuM7fJwCkiMFq+nmRuG3RI3f7f4N4TDX7T4NpbAXpR2+NTRSEGfCSeA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "peerDependencies": {
+        "leaflet": "^1.3.1"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/lilconfig": {
       "version": "3.1.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lilconfig/-/lilconfig-3.1.3.tgz",
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 759f90c..126ec7b 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "leaflet": "^1.9.4",
+    "leaflet.markercluster": "^1.5.3",
     "nostr-tools": "^2.24.1",
     "pinia": "^3.0.0",
     "vue": "^3.5.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/leaflet": "^1.9.12",
+    "@types/leaflet.markercluster": "^1.5.6",
     "@vitejs/plugin-vue": "^6.0.0",
     "autoprefixer": "^10.4.20",
     "postcss": "^8.5.0",
diff --git a/frontend/src/main.ts b/frontend/src/main.ts
index a068dc5..a84c21b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/main.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/main.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { createApp } from 'vue';
 import { createPinia } from 'pinia';
 import 'leaflet/dist/leaflet.css';
+import 'leaflet.markercluster/dist/MarkerCluster.css';
+import 'leaflet.markercluster/dist/MarkerCluster.Default.css';
 import App from './App.vue';
 import './style.css';
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/style.css b/frontend/src/style.css
index 495743a..45fcdfe 100644
--- a/frontend/src/style.css
+++ b/frontend/src/style.css
@@ -83,3 +83,21 @@ h1, h2, .font-display {
 .regress-link-green { filter: drop-shadow(0 0 4px #39ff14); }
 .regress-field-orange { filter: drop-shadow(0 0 6px #ff5f1f); }
 .regress-field-green { filter: drop-shadow(0 0 6px #39ff14); }
+
+/* Reskin leaflet.markercluster's default light-green bubble look to match
+   the HUD theme — overrides MarkerCluster.Default.css. */
+.regress-cluster div {
+  width: 100%;
+  height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  background: radial-gradient(circle at 35% 35%, rgba(0, 255, 242, 0.35), rgba(0, 255, 242, 0.12) 70%);
+  border: 2px solid #00fff2;
+  color: #d8fbff;
+  font-family: 'Share Tech Mono', monospace;
+  font-weight: bold;
+  font-size: 12px;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0, 255, 242, 0.5);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/MapView.vue b/frontend/src/views/MapView.vue
index dfc6e75..385d9ca 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/MapView.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/MapView.vue
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { computed, onMounted, ref, watch } from 'vue';
 import L from 'leaflet';
+import 'leaflet.markercluster';
 import { useAuthStore } from '../stores/auth';
 import { useGameStore } from '../stores/game';
 import type { Place } from '../stores/game';
@@ -10,7 +11,12 @@ const game = useGameStore();
 
 const mapEl = ref<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
 let map: L.Map | null = null;
-let markersLayer: L.LayerGroup | null = null;
+// Clustered — with places synced worldwide (tens of thousands, not the
+// original Madeira-only ~170), rendering every marker individually would
+// choke the DOM. leaflet.markercluster groups nearby markers at low zoom
+// and expands them as you zoom in; each individual marker keeps its own
+// team-colored portalIcon() once visible.
+let markersLayer: L.MarkerClusterGroup | null = null;
 let linksLayer: L.LayerGroup | null = null;
 let fieldsLayer: L.LayerGroup | null = null;
 
@@ -53,13 +59,18 @@ function redraw() {
 
   const coordsById = new Map(game.places.map((p) => [p.id, p]));
 
-  for (const place of game.places) {
+  // addLayers() batch-inserts in one pass — markercluster's recommended way
+  // to add anything beyond a handful of markers; looping addLayer() one at a
+  // time recalculates the cluster tree on every call and is dramatically
+  // slower at this scale (tens of thousands of places).
+  const markers = game.places.map((place) => {
     const isSource = place.id === linkSourceId.value;
     const marker = L.marker([place.lat, place.lon], { icon: portalIcon(place, isSource) });
     marker.on('click', () => onMarkerClick(place));
     marker.bindTooltip(place.name || `Place ${place.id}`, { direction: 'top' });
-    markersLayer.addLayer(marker);
-  }
+    return marker;
+  });
+  markersLayer.addLayers(markers);
 
   for (const link of game.links) {
     const from = coordsById.get(link.from_place_id);
@@ -156,7 +167,9 @@ const greenScore = computed(() => game.scores.find((s) => s.team === 'green'));
 
 onMounted(async () => {
   if (mapEl.value) {
-    map = L.map(mapEl.value, { zoomControl: false }).setView([32.7607, -16.9595], 12);
+    // World view by default now that places are synced globally, not just
+    // Madeira — falls back to this if geolocation isn't available/granted.
+    map = L.map(mapEl.value, { zoomControl: false }).setView([20, 0], 2);
     L.control.zoom({ position: 'bottomright' }).addTo(map);
     L.tileLayer('https://{s}.basemaps.cartocdn.com/dark_all/{z}/{x}/{y}{r}.png', {
       attribution: '&copy; OpenStreetMap contributors &copy; CARTO',
@@ -165,7 +178,25 @@ onMounted(async () => {
     }).addTo(map);
     fieldsLayer = L.layerGroup().addTo(map);
     linksLayer = L.layerGroup().addTo(map);
-    markersLayer = L.layerGroup().addTo(map);
+    markersLayer = L.markerClusterGroup({
+      maxClusterRadius: 60,
+      spiderfyOnMaxZoom: true,
+      iconCreateFunction: (cluster) => {
+        const count = cluster.getChildCount();
+        const size = count < 100 ? 34 : count < 1000 ? 42 : 50;
+        return L.divIcon({
+          className: 'regress-cluster',
+          html: `<div style="width:${size}px;height:${size}px;">${count}</div>`,
+          iconSize: [size, size],
+        });
+      },
+    }).addTo(map);
+
+    navigator.geolocation?.getCurrentPosition(
+      (pos) => map?.setView([pos.coords.latitude, pos.coords.longitude], 13),
+      () => {}, // silently keep the world view if denied/unavailable
+      { timeout: 5000 },
+    );
   }
   await game.refreshAll();
   redraw();
diff --git a/server/package-lock.json b/server/package-lock.json
index cff7609..65ad95f 100644
--- a/server/package-lock.json
+++ b/server/package-lock.json
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
       "name": "regress-server",
       "version": "0.1.0",
       "dependencies": {
+        "@fastify/compress": "^9.1.1",
         "@fastify/cookie": "^11.0.2",
         "@fastify/cors": "^11.3.0",
-        "@fastify/static": "^8.1.1",
+        "@fastify/static": "^10.1.2",
         "better-sqlite3": "^12.2.0",
         "fastify": "^5.4.0",
         "fastify-plugin": "^5.1.0",
@@ -504,6 +505,85 @@
         "fast-uri": "^3.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@fastify/compress": {
+      "version": "9.1.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@fastify/compress/-/compress-9.1.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-YRv6HsKhI8TjdW/Etwo2GskrN8x5YaacSQhmeyc1dIgptvKPCFGRkXVciNvnCZULM1Np90b0TUM3D90l3VF1Zw==",
+      "funding": [
+        {
+          "type": "github",
+          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/fastify"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "opencollective",
+          "url": "https://opencollective.com/fastify"
+        }
+      ],
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@fastify/accept-negotiator": "^2.0.0",
+        "fastify-plugin": "^6.0.0",
+        "mime-db": "^1.52.0",
+        "minipass": "^7.0.4",
+        "readable-stream": "^4.5.2"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/@fastify/compress/node_modules/buffer": {
+      "version": "6.0.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/buffer/-/buffer-6.0.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-FTiCpNxtwiZZHEZbcbTIcZjERVICn9yq/pDFkTl95/AxzD1naBctN7YO68riM/gLSDY7sdrMby8hofADYuuqOA==",
+      "funding": [
+        {
+          "type": "github",
+          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/feross"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "patreon",
+          "url": "https://www.patreon.com/feross"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "consulting",
+          "url": "https://feross.org/support"
+        }
+      ],
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "base64-js": "^1.3.1",
+        "ieee754": "^1.2.1"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/@fastify/compress/node_modules/fastify-plugin": {
+      "version": "6.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fastify-plugin/-/fastify-plugin-6.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-fZOty7z3O7vOliF6d8bHE3wiEh1KcNnKEQensSgTk9C1DvN6nRLS++XVd86v33Hw/8u9Un8A1zDrQ8ujcQDHEg==",
+      "funding": [
+        {
+          "type": "github",
+          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/fastify"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "opencollective",
+          "url": "https://opencollective.com/fastify"
+        }
+      ],
+      "license": "MIT"
+    },
+    "node_modules/@fastify/compress/node_modules/readable-stream": {
+      "version": "4.7.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/readable-stream/-/readable-stream-4.7.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-oIGGmcpTLwPga8Bn6/Z75SVaH1z5dUut2ibSyAMVhmUggWpmDn2dapB0n7f8nwaSiRtepAsfJyfXIO5DCVAODg==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "abort-controller": "^3.0.0",
+        "buffer": "^6.0.3",
+        "events": "^3.3.0",
+        "process": "^0.11.10",
+        "string_decoder": "^1.3.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": "^12.22.0 || ^14.17.0 || >=16.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/@fastify/cookie": {
       "version": "11.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@fastify/cookie/-/cookie-11.1.2.tgz",
@@ -690,9 +770,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@fastify/static": {
-      "version": "8.3.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@fastify/static/-/static-8.3.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-yKxviR5PH1OKNnisIzZKmgZSus0r2OZb8qCSbqmw34aolT4g3UlzYfeBRym+HJ1J471CR8e2ldNub4PubD1coA==",
+      "version": "10.1.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@fastify/static/-/static-10.1.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-G/g18cG9tLutT/OVyN1AIsHIl9L1UwmJ+S3dkyhVpplIx0nEMicd7RGQ+uJLyhKKF4a3tTcQydccn3Mop1fX+Q==",
       "funding": [
         {
           "type": "github",
@@ -706,21 +786,29 @@
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@fastify/accept-negotiator": "^2.0.0",
+        "@fastify/error": "^4.0.0",
         "@fastify/send": "^4.0.0",
-        "content-disposition": "^0.5.4",
-        "fastify-plugin": "^5.0.0",
+        "content-disposition": "^2.0.1",
+        "fastify-plugin": "^6.0.0",
         "fastq": "^1.17.1",
-        "glob": "^11.0.0"
+        "glob": "^13.0.0"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/@isaacs/cliui": {
-      "version": "9.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@isaacs/cliui/-/cliui-9.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-AokJm4tuBHillT+FpMtxQ60n8ObyXBatq7jD2/JA9dxbDDokKQm8KMht5ibGzLVU9IJDIKK4TPKgMHEYMn3lMg==",
-      "license": "BlueOak-1.0.0",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=18"
-      }
+    "node_modules/@fastify/static/node_modules/fastify-plugin": {
+      "version": "6.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fastify-plugin/-/fastify-plugin-6.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-fZOty7z3O7vOliF6d8bHE3wiEh1KcNnKEQensSgTk9C1DvN6nRLS++XVd86v33Hw/8u9Un8A1zDrQ8ujcQDHEg==",
+      "funding": [
+        {
+          "type": "github",
+          "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/fastify"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "opencollective",
+          "url": "https://opencollective.com/fastify"
+        }
+      ],
+      "license": "MIT"
     },
     "node_modules/@jridgewell/sourcemap-codec": {
       "version": "1.5.5",
@@ -1346,6 +1434,18 @@
         "url": "https://opencollective.com/vitest"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/abort-controller": {
+      "version": "3.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/abort-controller/-/abort-controller-3.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-h8lQ8tacZYnR3vNQTgibj+tODHI5/+l06Au2Pcriv/Gmet0eaj4TwWH41sO9wnHDiQsEj19q0drzdWdeAHtweg==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "event-target-shim": "^5.0.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=6.5"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/abstract-logging": {
       "version": "2.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/abstract-logging/-/abstract-logging-2.0.1.tgz",
@@ -1567,15 +1667,16 @@
       "license": "ISC"
     },
     "node_modules/content-disposition": {
-      "version": "0.5.4",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/content-disposition/-/content-disposition-0.5.4.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-FveZTNuGw04cxlAiWbzi6zTAL/lhehaWbTtgluJh4/E95DqMwTmha3KZN1aAWA8cFIhHzMZUvLevkw5Rqk+tSQ==",
+      "version": "2.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/content-disposition/-/content-disposition-2.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-e+H0ZXHSWYrENhQzw1LPuP4oF5MzVKmDU6d3hxlvaPEYLLg62MxtQNPRx4SYSuYJSBUgnQIG4HIN2tEtNv7Dog==",
       "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "safe-buffer": "5.2.1"
-      },
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">= 0.6"
+        "node": ">=18"
+      },
+      "funding": {
+        "type": "opencollective",
+        "url": "https://opencollective.com/express"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/cookie": {
@@ -1591,20 +1692,6 @@
         "url": "https://opencollective.com/express"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/cross-spawn": {
-      "version": "7.0.6",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cross-spawn/-/cross-spawn-7.0.6.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-uV2QOWP2nWzsy2aMp8aRibhi9dlzF5Hgh5SHaB9OiTGEyDTiJJyx0uy51QXdyWbtAHNua4XJzUKca3OzKUd3vA==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "path-key": "^3.1.0",
-        "shebang-command": "^2.0.0",
-        "which": "^2.0.1"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">= 8"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/debug": {
       "version": "4.4.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/debug/-/debug-4.4.3.tgz",
@@ -1758,6 +1845,24 @@
         "@types/estree": "^1.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/event-target-shim": {
+      "version": "5.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/event-target-shim/-/event-target-shim-5.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-i/2XbnSz/uxRCU6+NdVJgKWDTM427+MqYbkQzD321DuCQJUqOuJKIA0IM2+W2xtYHdKOmZ4dR6fExsd4SXL+WQ==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=6"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/events": {
+      "version": "3.3.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/events/-/events-3.3.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-mQw+2fkQbALzQ7V0MY0IqdnXNOeTtP4r0lN9z7AAawCXgqea7bDii20AYrIBrFd/Hx0M2Ocz6S111CaFkUcb0Q==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=0.8.x"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/expand-template": {
       "version": "2.0.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/expand-template/-/expand-template-2.0.3.tgz",
@@ -1950,22 +2055,6 @@
         "node": ">=20"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/foreground-child": {
-      "version": "3.3.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/foreground-child/-/foreground-child-3.3.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-gIXjKqtFuWEgzFRJA9WCQeSJLZDjgJUOMCMzxtvFq/37KojM1BFGufqsCy0r4qSQmYLsZYMeyRqzIWOMup03sw==",
-      "license": "ISC",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "cross-spawn": "^7.0.6",
-        "signal-exit": "^4.0.1"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=14"
-      },
-      "funding": {
-        "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/isaacs"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/fs-constants": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fs-constants/-/fs-constants-1.0.0.tgz",
@@ -1994,24 +2083,17 @@
       "license": "MIT"
     },
     "node_modules/glob": {
-      "version": "11.1.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/glob/-/glob-11.1.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-vuNwKSaKiqm7g0THUBu2x7ckSs3XJLXE+2ssL7/MfTGPLLcrJQ/4Uq1CjPTtO5cCIiRxqvN6Twy1qOwhL0Xjcw==",
-      "deprecated": "Old versions of glob are not supported, and contain widely publicized security vulnerabilities, which have been fixed in the current version. Please update. Support for old versions may be purchased (at exorbitant rates) by contacting i@izs.me",
+      "version": "13.0.6",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/glob/-/glob-13.0.6.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Wjlyrolmm8uDpm/ogGyXZXb1Z+Ca2B8NbJwqBVg0axK9GbBeoS7yGV6vjXnYdGm6X53iehEuxxbyiKp8QmN4Vw==",
       "license": "BlueOak-1.0.0",
       "dependencies": {
-        "foreground-child": "^3.3.1",
-        "jackspeak": "^4.1.1",
-        "minimatch": "^10.1.1",
-        "minipass": "^7.1.2",
-        "package-json-from-dist": "^1.0.0",
-        "path-scurry": "^2.0.0"
-      },
-      "bin": {
-        "glob": "dist/esm/bin.mjs"
+        "minimatch": "^10.2.2",
+        "minipass": "^7.1.3",
+        "path-scurry": "^2.0.2"
       },
       "engines": {
-        "node": "20 || >=22"
+        "node": "18 || 20 || >=22"
       },
       "funding": {
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/isaacs"
@@ -2078,27 +2160,6 @@
         "node": ">= 10"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/isexe": {
-      "version": "2.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/isexe/-/isexe-2.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-RHxMLp9lnKHGHRng9QFhRCMbYAcVpn69smSGcq3f36xjgVVWThj4qqLbTLlq7Ssj8B+fIQ1EuCEGI2lKsyQeIw==",
-      "license": "ISC"
-    },
-    "node_modules/jackspeak": {
-      "version": "4.2.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/jackspeak/-/jackspeak-4.2.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-ykkVRwrYvFm1nb2AJfKKYPr0emF6IiXDYUaFx4Zn9ZuIH7MrzEZ3sD5RlqGXNRpHtvUHJyOnCEFxOlNDtGo7wg==",
-      "license": "BlueOak-1.0.0",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "@isaacs/cliui": "^9.0.0"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": "20 || >=22"
-      },
-      "funding": {
-        "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/isaacs"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/js-tokens": {
       "version": "9.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/js-tokens/-/js-tokens-9.0.1.tgz",
@@ -2219,6 +2280,15 @@
         "node": ">=10.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/mime-db": {
+      "version": "1.54.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/mime-db/-/mime-db-1.54.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-aU5EJuIN2WDemCcAp2vFBfp/m4EAhWJnUNSSw0ixs7/kXbd6Pg64EmwJkNdFhB8aWt1sH2CTXrLxo/iAGV3oPQ==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 0.6"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/mimic-response": {
       "version": "3.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/mimic-response/-/mimic-response-3.1.0.tgz",
@@ -2361,21 +2431,6 @@
         "wrappy": "1"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/package-json-from-dist": {
-      "version": "1.0.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/package-json-from-dist/-/package-json-from-dist-1.0.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-UEZIS3/by4OC8vL3P2dTXRETpebLI2NiI5vIrjaD/5UtrkFX/tNbwjTSRAGC/+7CAo2pIcBaRgWmcBBHcsaCIw==",
-      "license": "BlueOak-1.0.0"
-    },
-    "node_modules/path-key": {
-      "version": "3.1.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-key/-/path-key-3.1.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-ojmeN0qd+y0jszEtoY48r0Peq5dwMEkIlCOu6Q5f41lfkswXuKtYrhgoTpLnyIcHm24Uhqx+5Tqm2InSwLhE6Q==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=8"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/path-scurry": {
       "version": "2.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-scurry/-/path-scurry-2.0.2.tgz",
@@ -2522,6 +2577,15 @@
         "node": ">=10"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/process": {
+      "version": "0.11.10",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/process/-/process-0.11.10.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-cdGef/drWFoydD1JsMzuFf8100nZl+GT+yacc2bEced5f9Rjk4z+WtFUTBu9PhOi9j/jfmBPu0mMEY4wIdAF8A==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 0.6.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/process-warning": {
       "version": "5.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/process-warning/-/process-warning-5.1.0.tgz",
@@ -2763,27 +2827,6 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-E5LDX7Wrp85Kil5bhZv46j8jOeboKq5JMmYM3gVGdGH8xFpPWXUMsNrlODCrkoxMEeNi/XZIwuRvY4XNwYMJpw==",
       "license": "ISC"
     },
-    "node_modules/shebang-command": {
-      "version": "2.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/shebang-command/-/shebang-command-2.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-kHxr2zZpYtdmrN1qDjrrX/Z1rR1kG8Dx+gkpK1G4eXmvXswmcE1hTWBWYUzlraYw1/yZp6YuDY77YtvbN0dmDA==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "shebang-regex": "^3.0.0"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=8"
-      }
-    },
-    "node_modules/shebang-regex": {
-      "version": "3.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/shebang-regex/-/shebang-regex-3.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-7++dFhtcx3353uBaq8DDR4NuxBetBzC7ZQOhmTQInHEd6bSrXdiEyzCvG07Z44UYdLShWUyXt5M/yhz8ekcb1A==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=8"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/siginfo": {
       "version": "2.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/siginfo/-/siginfo-2.0.0.tgz",
@@ -2791,18 +2834,6 @@
       "dev": true,
       "license": "ISC"
     },
-    "node_modules/signal-exit": {
-      "version": "4.1.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/signal-exit/-/signal-exit-4.1.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-bzyZ1e88w9O1iNJbKnOlvYTrWPDl46O1bG0D3XInv+9tkPrxrN8jUUTiFlDkkmKWgn1M6CfIA13SuGqOa9Korw==",
-      "license": "ISC",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=14"
-      },
-      "funding": {
-        "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/isaacs"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/simple-concat": {
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/simple-concat/-/simple-concat-1.0.1.tgz",
@@ -3284,21 +3315,6 @@
         }
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/which": {
-      "version": "2.0.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/which/-/which-2.0.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-BLI3Tl1TW3Pvl70l3yq3Y64i+awpwXqsGBYWkkqMtnbXgrMD+yj7rhW0kuEDxzJaYXGjEW5ogapKNMEKNMjibA==",
-      "license": "ISC",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "isexe": "^2.0.0"
-      },
-      "bin": {
-        "node-which": "bin/node-which"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">= 8"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/why-is-node-running": {
       "version": "2.3.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/why-is-node-running/-/why-is-node-running-2.3.0.tgz",
diff --git a/server/package.json b/server/package.json
index ba85c8b..5fbf8a7 100644
--- a/server/package.json
+++ b/server/package.json
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "@fastify/compress": "^9.1.1",
     "@fastify/cookie": "^11.0.2",
     "@fastify/cors": "^11.3.0",
-    "@fastify/static": "^8.1.1",
+    "@fastify/static": "^10.1.2",
     "better-sqlite3": "^12.2.0",
     "fastify": "^5.4.0",
     "fastify-plugin": "^5.1.0",
diff --git a/server/src/app.ts b/server/src/app.ts
index 5d16ab3..abf1561 100644
--- a/server/src/app.ts
+++ b/server/src/app.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Fastify, { type FastifyInstance } from 'fastify';
+import compress from '@fastify/compress';
 import cookie from '@fastify/cookie';
 import cors from '@fastify/cors';
 import fastifyStatic from '@fastify/static';
@@ -49,6 +50,9 @@ export async function buildApp(opts: BuildAppOptions): Promise<FastifyInstance>
 
   await app.register(cookie);
   await app.register(cors, { origin: true, credentials: true, methods: ['GET', 'POST', 'DELETE'] });
+  // Global place list is tens of thousands of rows — gzip is the single
+  // biggest win for that payload size, worth having by default everywhere.
+  await app.register(compress, { global: true });
   await app.register(nostrAuth, { db, config });
 
   // Everything below is mounted under ROUTE_PREFIX (empty by default, i.e.
diff --git a/server/src/config.ts b/server/src/config.ts
index 7c0b107..804496c 100644
--- a/server/src/config.ts
+++ b/server/src/config.ts
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ const envSchema = z.object({
   ROUTE_PREFIX: z.string().default(''),
   NIP98_MAX_SKEW_SECS: z.coerce.number().default(60),
   SESSION_TTL_DAYS: z.coerce.number().default(30),
-  // Default sync area: Madeira, Portugal (Funchal-centered radius covering the whole island).
-  BTCMAP_CENTER_LAT: z.coerce.number().default(32.7607),
-  BTCMAP_CENTER_LON: z.coerce.number().default(-16.9595),
-  BTCMAP_RADIUS_KM: z.coerce.number().default(45),
+  // Base URL for BTC Map's API — global sync pulls every place worldwide via
+  // the chronological /v4/places endpoint (paginated, incremental via a
+  // stored watermark — see routes/sync.ts), not scoped to any region.
+  // Overridable for tests to point at a mock server instead of the real API.
+  BTCMAP_API_BASE_URL: z.string().url().default('https://api.btcmap.org'),
   // How close (in meters) a player must be to a place to claim it or link from it.
   CLAIM_RADIUS_METERS: z.coerce.number().default(40),
   // Maximum link length, in kilometers — mirrors Ingress's level-scaled link
diff --git a/server/src/routes/sync.ts b/server/src/routes/sync.ts
index e3f54ce..5375bf0 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/sync.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/sync.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 import type { FastifyInstance } from 'fastify';
-import { fetchAreaPlaces } from '../services/btcmap.js';
+import { fetchAllPlaces, latestUpdatedAt } from '../services/btcmap.js';
+
+const WATERMARK_KEY = 'btcmap_synced_since';
+const EPOCH = '1970-01-01T00:00:00Z';
 
 export default async function syncRoutes(app: FastifyInstance) {
   const { db, config } = app.ctx;
 
+  const getWatermark = db.prepare('SELECT value FROM settings WHERE key = ?');
+  const setWatermark = db.prepare(`
+    INSERT INTO settings (key, value) VALUES (?, ?)
+    ON CONFLICT(key) DO UPDATE SET value = excluded.value
+  `);
   const upsertPlace = db.prepare(`
     INSERT INTO places (id, lat, lon, name, icon, address, osm_id, btcmap_updated_at, synced_at)
     VALUES (@id, @lat, @lon, @name, @icon, @address, @osm_id, @btcmap_updated_at, @synced_at)
@@ -17,30 +25,47 @@ export default async function syncRoutes(app: FastifyInstance) {
       btcmap_updated_at = excluded.btcmap_updated_at,
       synced_at = excluded.synced_at
   `);
+  // ON DELETE CASCADE on claims/links (see db/migrations.ts) means a place
+  // that BTC Map delists correctly reverts to fully gone here too, not just
+  // unclaimed — its claim and any links through it disappear with it.
+  const deletePlace = db.prepare('DELETE FROM places WHERE id = ?');
 
-  // Public on purpose for now (single-region MVP, no write access to real money);
-  // revisit if/when this needs to be admin-gated for a larger, costlier sync area.
+  // Public on purpose (read-only pull from a public API, no write access to
+  // real money) — revisit if this ever needs admin-gating, e.g. to bound
+  // how often the full worldwide dataset gets re-pulled.
   app.post('/api/sync', async () => {
-    const places = await fetchAreaPlaces(config.BTCMAP_CENTER_LAT, config.BTCMAP_CENTER_LON, config.BTCMAP_RADIUS_KM);
+    const since = (getWatermark.get(WATERMARK_KEY) as { value: string } | undefined)?.value ?? EPOCH;
     const syncedAt = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
 
-    const insertAll = db.transaction((rows: typeof places) => {
-      for (const p of rows) {
-        upsertPlace.run({
-          id: p.id,
-          lat: p.lat,
-          lon: p.lon,
-          name: p.name ?? '',
-          icon: p.icon ?? null,
-          address: p.address ?? null,
-          osm_id: p.osm_id ?? null,
-          btcmap_updated_at: p.updated_at ?? null,
-          synced_at: syncedAt,
-        });
-      }
-    });
-    insertAll(places);
+    const places = await fetchAllPlaces(config.BTCMAP_API_BASE_URL, since);
+    let upserted = 0;
+    let deleted = 0;
 
-    return { synced: places.length, center: { lat: config.BTCMAP_CENTER_LAT, lon: config.BTCMAP_CENTER_LON }, radiusKm: config.BTCMAP_RADIUS_KM };
+    db.transaction(() => {
+      for (const p of places) {
+        if (p.deleted_at) {
+          deletePlace.run(p.id);
+          deleted += 1;
+        } else {
+          upsertPlace.run({
+            id: p.id,
+            lat: p.lat,
+            lon: p.lon,
+            name: p.name ?? '',
+            icon: p.icon ?? null,
+            address: p.address ?? null,
+            osm_id: p.osm_id ?? null,
+            btcmap_updated_at: p.updated_at ?? null,
+            synced_at: syncedAt,
+          });
+          upserted += 1;
+        }
+      }
+    })();
+
+    const newWatermark = latestUpdatedAt(places, since);
+    setWatermark.run(WATERMARK_KEY, newWatermark);
+
+    return { fetched: places.length, upserted, deleted, since, watermark: newWatermark };
   });
 }
diff --git a/server/src/services/btcmap.test.ts b/server/src/services/btcmap.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85496de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/services/btcmap.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { fetchAllPlaces, latestUpdatedAt, type BtcMapPlace } from './btcmap.js';
+
+const BASE = 'https://fake-btcmap.example';
+
+function place(id: number, updatedAt: string, deleted = false): BtcMapPlace {
+  return {
+    id,
+    lat: id,
+    lon: id,
+    name: `place-${id}`,
+    updated_at: updatedAt,
+    ...(deleted ? { deleted_at: updatedAt } : {}),
+  };
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+});
+
+describe('fetchAllPlaces', () => {
+  it('requests include_deleted and the given since, with no pagination params', async () => {
+    let capturedUrl: URL | undefined;
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      'fetch',
+      vi.fn(async (input: string | URL) => {
+        capturedUrl = input instanceof URL ? input : new URL(String(input));
+        return new Response(JSON.stringify([]), { status: 200 });
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await fetchAllPlaces(BASE, '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+    expect(capturedUrl?.searchParams.get('include_deleted')).toBe('true');
+    expect(capturedUrl?.searchParams.get('updated_since')).toBe('2026-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+    expect(capturedUrl?.searchParams.has('limit')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns whatever the API responds with, deleted entries included', async () => {
+    const places = [place(1, '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z'), place(2, '2026-01-02T00:00:00Z', true)];
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', vi.fn(async () => new Response(JSON.stringify(places), { status: 200 })));
+
+    const result = await fetchAllPlaces(BASE, '1970-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+    expect(result).toEqual(places);
+  });
+
+  it('throws on a non-ok response', async () => {
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', vi.fn(async () => new Response('nope', { status: 500, statusText: 'Internal Error' })));
+    await expect(fetchAllPlaces(BASE, '1970-01-01T00:00:00Z')).rejects.toThrow(/500/);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('latestUpdatedAt', () => {
+  it('returns the fallback for an empty list', () => {
+    expect(latestUpdatedAt([], '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z')).toBe('2026-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+  });
+
+  it('picks the chronologically latest timestamp, not the lexicographically largest', () => {
+    // The whole reason this exists: naive string comparison gets this backwards —
+    // "...27Z" (whole-second) sorts AFTER "...27.500Z" (mid-second) as a string,
+    // even though .500Z happened later within that same second.
+    const places = [place(1, '2026-01-01T00:00:27Z'), place(2, '2026-01-01T00:00:27.500Z')];
+    expect(latestUpdatedAt(places, '1970-01-01T00:00:00Z')).toBe('2026-01-01T00:00:27.500Z');
+  });
+
+  it('ignores entries with no updated_at', () => {
+    const places: BtcMapPlace[] = [{ id: 1, lat: 0, lon: 0 }, place(2, '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z')];
+    expect(latestUpdatedAt(places, '1970-01-01T00:00:00Z')).toBe('2026-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the fallback if nothing in the batch is newer', () => {
+    const places = [place(1, '2020-01-01T00:00:00Z')];
+    expect(latestUpdatedAt(places, '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z')).toBe('2026-01-01T00:00:00Z');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/server/src/services/btcmap.ts b/server/src/services/btcmap.ts
index 8f382c2..b03b499 100644
--- a/server/src/services/btcmap.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/btcmap.ts
@@ -7,22 +7,52 @@ export interface BtcMapPlace {
   address?: string;
   osm_id?: string;
   updated_at?: string;
+  deleted_at?: string;
 }
 
-const BTCMAP_FIELDS = 'id,lat,lon,name,icon,address,osm_id,updated_at';
+const BTCMAP_FIELDS = 'id,lat,lon,name,icon,address,osm_id,updated_at,deleted_at';
 
 /**
- * Pull every BTC Map place within a radius of a center point. Used for the
- * initial/periodic sync into our local `places` cache — see routes/sync.ts.
+ * Every BTC Map place worldwide updated since `since` (ISO 8601), deleted
+ * ones included so the caller can evict them locally too — one unpaginated
+ * request, not the chronological-cursor pagination BTC Map's own docs
+ * describe as the "recommended" pattern.
+ *
+ * That paginated pattern was tried first and abandoned: with updated_since
+ * as a plain ISO string, BTC Map's timestamps mix millisecond-precision and
+ * whole-second values, and naive string comparison of ISO-8601 strings
+ * across mixed precision is NOT chronologically safe ("...27Z" sorts after
+ * "...27.137Z" lexicographically, even though .137 happened later within
+ * that same second) — this silently truncated a real sync to the first
+ * ~4,000 of ~42,000 records with no error. Measured the alternative
+ * instead: omitting `limit` entirely returns the full dataset — currently
+ * ~42k records (including historical deletions), ~9MB uncompressed, in
+ * ~2-3s — comfortably fine as a single request. Revisit with real
+ * pagination (and a numeric/parsed-Date cursor, not string comparison) if
+ * the dataset ever grows enough to make that request unwieldy.
  */
-export async function fetchAreaPlaces(lat: number, lon: number, radiusKm: number): Promise<BtcMapPlace[]> {
-  const url = new URL('https://api.btcmap.org/v4/places/search/');
-  url.searchParams.set('lat', String(lat));
-  url.searchParams.set('lon', String(lon));
-  url.searchParams.set('radius_km', String(radiusKm));
+export async function fetchAllPlaces(apiBaseUrl: string, since: string): Promise<BtcMapPlace[]> {
+  const url = new URL('/v4/places', apiBaseUrl);
   url.searchParams.set('fields', BTCMAP_FIELDS);
+  url.searchParams.set('updated_since', since);
+  url.searchParams.set('include_deleted', 'true');
 
   const res = await fetch(url);
-  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`btcmap search failed: ${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
+  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`btcmap places fetch failed: ${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
   return (await res.json()) as BtcMapPlace[];
 }
+
+/** Latest updated_at among a batch, compared as real timestamps (not strings — see fetchAllPlaces). */
+export function latestUpdatedAt(places: BtcMapPlace[], fallback: string): string {
+  let best = fallback;
+  let bestMs = Date.parse(fallback);
+  for (const p of places) {
+    if (!p.updated_at) continue;
+    const ms = Date.parse(p.updated_at);
+    if (!Number.isNaN(ms) && ms > bestMs) {
+      best = p.updated_at;
+      bestMs = ms;
+    }
+  }
+  return best;
+}