diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 488403a..e047cd6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# .github/workflows/release.yml
 name: Build & Release Go Binary
 
 on:
@@ -11,40 +10,84 @@ permissions:
   packages: write
 
 jobs:
-  release:
+  prepare_release:
+    name: Prepare release (create tag + release)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      tag: ${{ steps.set_tag.outputs.TAG }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout (full history required for tagging)
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Set TAG
+        id: set_tag
+        run: |
+          TAG="v$(date +'%Y%m%d%H%M%S')"
+          echo "TAG=${TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+      - name: Configure git user
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+
+      - name: Create and push tag
+        run: |
+          git tag ${{ steps.set_tag.outputs.TAG }}
+          git push origin ${{ steps.set_tag.outputs.TAG }}
+
+      - name: Create GitHub Release
+        uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
+        with:
+          tag: ${{ steps.set_tag.outputs.TAG }}
+          name: ${{ steps.set_tag.outputs.TAG }}
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+  build_and_upload:
+    name: Build and upload artifacts
+    needs: prepare_release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
         goos: [linux, windows, darwin]
-        goarch: ['386', amd64, arm64]
+        goarch: [amd64, arm64]
         exclude:
           - goos: darwin
             goarch: '386'
           - goos: windows
             goarch: arm64
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Set version tag
-        id: version
-        run: |
-          VERSION="v$(date +'%Y%m%d%H%M%S')"
-          echo "VERSION=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      - name: Build Go Binary
-        uses: wangyoucao577/go-release-action@v1
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Setup Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v4
         with:
-          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          goos: ${{ matrix.goos }}
-          goarch: ${{ matrix.goarch }}
-          goversion: "https://dl.google.com/go/go1.24.8.linux-amd64.tar.gz"
-          project_path: "./"
-          binary_name: "pinata"
-          extra_files: LICENSE README.md
-      - name: Create Git Tag
+          go-version: '1.24.8'
+
+      - name: Build binary
         run: |
-          git tag ${{ env.VERSION }}
-          git push origin ${{ env.VERSION }}
-      - name: Create GitHub Release
-        uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
+          set -e
+          EXT=""
+          if [ "${{ matrix.goos }}" = "windows" ]; then EXT=".exe"; fi
+          OUT_DIR=build-artifacts
+          mkdir -p ${OUT_DIR}
+          GOOS=${{ matrix.goos }} GOARCH=${{ matrix.goarch }} \
+            go build -o ${OUT_DIR}/pinata-${{ matrix.goos }}-${{ matrix.goarch }}${EXT} ./cmd/pinata
+
+      - name: Package artifact (tar/gzip)
+        if: matrix.goos == 'linux'
+        run: |
+          cd build-artifacts
+          tar -czf ../pinata-${{ matrix.goos }}-${{ matrix.goarch }}.tar.gz pinata-${{ matrix.goos }}-${{ matrix.goarch }}
+          ls -lh ..
+
+      - name: Upload artifact to the Release
+        # softprops/action-gh-release will find the release by tag and upload files
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
         with:
-          tag: ${{ env.VERSION }}
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          files: |
+            build-artifacts/*
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}