diff --git a/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/BlogPostClient.tsx b/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/BlogPostClient.tsx
index 85921e8..ccf00b5 100644
--- a/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/BlogPostClient.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/BlogPostClient.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
   getPublicKey,
   signEvent,
   publishEvent,
-  shortenPubkey,
+  shortenNpub,
   fetchNostrProfile,
   fetchLongformFromRelays,
   fetchEventFromRelays,
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { Navbar } from "@/components/public/Navbar";
 import { Footer } from "@/components/public/Footer";
 import { markdownComponents } from "./markdownComponents";
 import { remarkNostr } from "./remarkNostr";
+import { NostrAuthor } from "./NostrEmbeds";
 
 interface Post {
   id: string;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ interface Post {
   title: string;
   content: string;
   excerpt?: string;
+  image?: string;
   authorName?: string;
   authorPubkey?: string;
   publishedAt?: string;
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ function postFromEvent(event: any, slug: string): Post {
     title: tag("title") || "Untitled",
     content: event.content || "",
     excerpt: tag("summary"),
+    image: tag("image"),
     authorPubkey: event.pubkey,
     publishedAt: new Date(publishedAtSec * 1000).toISOString(),
     nostrEventId: event.id,
@@ -117,6 +120,7 @@ export default function BlogPostClient({ slug }: { slug: string }) {
   const [submitting, setSubmitting] = useState(false);
   const [authorProfile, setAuthorProfile] = useState<NostrProfile | null>(null);
   const [liveContent, setLiveContent] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [liveImage, setLiveImage] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [loadingContent, setLoadingContent] = useState(false);
   const [resolvingFromRelays, setResolvingFromRelays] = useState(false);
   const [contentError, setContentError] = useState(false);
@@ -134,6 +138,7 @@ export default function BlogPostClient({ slug }: { slug: string }) {
     setLoading(true);
     setError(null);
     setLiveContent(null);
+    setLiveImage(null);
     setPost(null);
     setAuthorProfile(null);
     setContentError(false);
@@ -159,8 +164,14 @@ export default function BlogPostClient({ slug }: { slug: string }) {
         fetchPromise
           .then((event) => {
             if (cancelled) return;
-            if (event?.content) setLiveContent(event.content);
-            else setContentError(true); // not found / timed out
+            if (event?.content) {
+              setLiveContent(event.content);
+              // Pull the longform header image (`image` tag) for display.
+              const img = event.tags?.find((t: string[]) => t[0] === "image")?.[1];
+              if (img) setLiveImage(img);
+            } else {
+              setContentError(true); // not found / timed out
+            }
           })
           .catch(() => !cancelled && setContentError(true))
           .finally(() => !cancelled && setLoadingContent(false));
@@ -258,6 +269,7 @@ export default function BlogPostClient({ slug }: { slug: string }) {
   }, [comment, post, hasNostr]);
 
   const categories = post?.categories?.map((c) => c.category) || [];
+  const headerImage = post?.image || liveImage;
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -321,7 +333,7 @@ export default function BlogPostClient({ slug }: { slug: string }) {
                         />
                       )}
                       <span className="font-medium text-on-surface-variant">
-                        {authorProfile?.name || post.authorName || shortenPubkey(post.authorPubkey!)}
+                        {authorProfile?.name || post.authorName || shortenNpub(post.authorPubkey!)}
                       </span>
                     </div>
                   )}
@@ -338,6 +350,17 @@ export default function BlogPostClient({ slug }: { slug: string }) {
                 </div>
               </header>
 
+              {headerImage && (
+                <img
+                  src={headerImage}
+                  alt={post.title}
+                  className="w-full rounded-xl mb-12 object-cover max-h-[28rem]"
+                  onError={(e) => {
+                    (e.target as HTMLImageElement).style.display = "none";
+                  }}
+                />
+              )}
+
               <article className="mb-16">
                 {loadingContent ? (
                   <RelayLoading />
@@ -424,9 +447,7 @@ export default function BlogPostClient({ slug }: { slug: string }) {
                         className="bg-surface-container-high rounded-lg p-4"
                       >
                         <div className="flex items-center gap-2.5 mb-2">
-                          <span className="font-semibold text-xs font-mono text-on-surface-variant/70">
-                            {shortenPubkey(r.pubkey)}
-                          </span>
+                          <NostrAuthor pubkey={r.pubkey} />
                           <span className="text-on-surface-variant/30">·</span>
                           <span className="text-xs text-on-surface-variant/50">
                             {formatDate(new Date(r.created_at * 1000))}
diff --git a/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/NostrEmbeds.tsx b/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/NostrEmbeds.tsx
index 18fc676..02bed66 100644
--- a/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/NostrEmbeds.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/blog/[slug]/NostrEmbeds.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { nip19 } from "nostr-tools";
 import {
   loadNostrProfile,
   resolveEventFromRelays,
-  shortenPubkey,
+  shortenNpub,
   type NostrProfile,
 } from "@/lib/nostr";
 
@@ -39,11 +39,8 @@ export function NostrMention({ bech32 }: { bech32: string }) {
   }, [pubkey]);
 
   // Show the username; fall back to a shortened npub only when no profile.
-  const npub = useMemo(() => {
-    if (bech32.startsWith("npub")) return bech32;
-    return pubkey ? nip19.npubEncode(pubkey) : bech32;
-  }, [bech32, pubkey]);
-  const name = profile?.name || profile?.displayName || shortenPubkey(npub);
+  const name =
+    profile?.name || profile?.displayName || shortenNpub(pubkey || bech32);
 
   return (
     <a
@@ -67,8 +64,10 @@ export function NostrMention({ bech32 }: { bech32: string }) {
   );
 }
 
-// Compact author line used inside an embedded note.
-function NoteAuthor({ pubkey }: { pubkey: string }) {
+// Reusable author line (avatar + username) resolved from the author's kind:0
+// profile. Falls back to a shortened npub — never the raw hex pubkey. Shared by
+// embedded notes and the blog comment list.
+export function NostrAuthor({ pubkey }: { pubkey: string }) {
   const [profile, setProfile] = useState<NostrProfile | null>(null);
   useEffect(() => {
     let cancelled = false;
@@ -79,21 +78,14 @@ function NoteAuthor({ pubkey }: { pubkey: string }) {
       cancelled = true;
     };
   }, [pubkey]);
-  const fallback = useMemo(() => {
-    try {
-      return shortenPubkey(nip19.npubEncode(pubkey));
-    } catch {
-      return shortenPubkey(pubkey);
-    }
-  }, [pubkey]);
-  const name = profile?.name || profile?.displayName || fallback;
+  const name = profile?.name || profile?.displayName || shortenNpub(pubkey);
   return (
-    <span className="flex items-center gap-2">
+    <span className="inline-flex items-center gap-2">
       {profile?.picture && (
         <img
           src={profile.picture}
           alt=""
-          className="w-6 h-6 rounded-full object-cover bg-surface-container-high"
+          className="w-6 h-6 rounded-full object-cover bg-surface-container-high shrink-0"
           onError={(e) => {
             (e.target as HTMLImageElement).style.display = "none";
           }}
@@ -151,7 +143,7 @@ export function NostrNote({ bech32 }: { bech32: string }) {
       {state === "done" && event && (
         <span className="block">
           <span className="flex items-center justify-between mb-3">
-            <NoteAuthor pubkey={event.pubkey} />
+            <NostrAuthor pubkey={event.pubkey} />
             <a
               href={njump(bech32)}
               target="_blank"
diff --git a/frontend/components/public/MeetupsSection.tsx b/frontend/components/public/MeetupsSection.tsx
index 83d19c8..ee9b069 100644
--- a/frontend/components/public/MeetupsSection.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/public/MeetupsSection.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useState } from "react";
 import { MapPin, Clock, ArrowRight } from "lucide-react";
 import Link from "next/link";
 import { AddToCalendarButton } from "@/components/public/AddToCalendarDialog";
 import { formatMeetupCivilDate } from "@/lib/meetupEventTime";
 
+// Initial number of meetups shown before "Load more". Mobile is enforced via
+// CSS (3) so there's no SSR/viewport mismatch; desktop shows up to 6.
+const INITIAL_MOBILE = 3;
+const INITIAL_DESKTOP = 6;
+
 interface MeetupData {
   id?: string;
   title: string;
@@ -19,6 +27,26 @@ interface MeetupsSectionProps {
 }
 
 export function MeetupsSection({ meetups }: MeetupsSectionProps) {
+  // Number of extra batches revealed via "Load more". Each batch adds 3 on
+  // mobile and 6 on desktop, so visible counts are 3*(pages+1) / 6*(pages+1).
+  const [pages, setPages] = useState(0);
+
+  const mobileVisible = INITIAL_MOBILE * (pages + 1);
+  const desktopVisible = INITIAL_DESKTOP * (pages + 1);
+
+  // Visibility per card. Enforced with CSS so the server-rendered markup matches
+  // both viewports (desktopVisible >= mobileVisible, so "mobile-only" never occurs).
+  const cardVisibilityClass = (i: number) => {
+    if (i < mobileVisible) return "flex";
+    if (i < desktopVisible) return "hidden md:flex";
+    return "hidden";
+  };
+
+  // Show the button only when content is still hidden at the given breakpoint.
+  let loadMoreClass = "hidden";
+  if (meetups.length > desktopVisible) loadMoreClass = "flex";
+  else if (meetups.length > mobileVisible) loadMoreClass = "flex md:hidden";
+
   return (
     <section className="py-24 px-8 border-t border-zinc-800/50">
       <div className="max-w-6xl mx-auto">
@@ -59,7 +87,7 @@ export function MeetupsSection({ meetups }: MeetupsSectionProps) {
                 <Link
                   key={meetup.id ?? i}
                   href={href}
-                  className="group flex flex-col bg-zinc-900 border border-zinc-800 rounded-xl p-6 hover:border-zinc-700 hover:-translate-y-0.5 hover:shadow-xl transition-all duration-200"
+                  className={`group ${cardVisibilityClass(i)} flex-col bg-zinc-900 border border-zinc-800 rounded-xl p-6 hover:border-zinc-700 hover:-translate-y-0.5 hover:shadow-xl transition-all duration-200`}
                 >
                   <div className="flex items-start gap-4 mb-4">
                     <div className="bg-zinc-800 rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-center shrink-0 min-w-[52px]">
@@ -113,6 +141,16 @@ export function MeetupsSection({ meetups }: MeetupsSectionProps) {
           </div>
         )}
 
+        <div className={`${loadMoreClass} justify-center mt-10`}>
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={() => setPages((p) => p + 1)}
+            className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-zinc-700 px-6 py-2.5 text-sm font-semibold text-on-surface hover:border-primary hover:text-primary transition-colors"
+          >
+            Load more
+          </button>
+        </div>
+
         <div className="md:hidden flex flex-col items-center gap-3 mt-8">
           <Link
             href="/events"
diff --git a/frontend/lib/nostr.ts b/frontend/lib/nostr.ts
index 65a83f6..e5ee904 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/nostr.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/nostr.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,20 @@ export function shortenPubkey(pubkey: string): string {
   return `${pubkey.slice(0, 8)}...${pubkey.slice(-8)}`;
 }
 
+// Shortened npub for display when no profile is available. Accepts a hex pubkey
+// or an existing npub/nprofile and always renders bech32 (never raw hex).
+export function shortenNpub(pubkeyOrBech32: string): string {
+  if (!pubkeyOrBech32) return "";
+  try {
+    const npub = pubkeyOrBech32.startsWith("npub")
+      ? pubkeyOrBech32
+      : nip19.npubEncode(toHexPubkey(pubkeyOrBech32) || pubkeyOrBech32);
+    return shortenPubkey(npub);
+  } catch {
+    return shortenPubkey(pubkeyOrBech32);
+  }
+}
+
 export interface NostrProfile {
   name?: string;
   picture?: string;