chore: remove unused backend dependencies

README.md

@@ -1,10 +1,40 @@
 # VeriNode-Backend
 
-> [!NOTE]
-> All documentation has been consolidated into a single guide.
-> 
-> Please refer to [BACKEND.md](./BACKEND.md) for the complete documentation, including:
-> - Setup and Installation
-> - Complete API Reference
-> - Architecture and Operations
-> - Contributing Guidelines
+Node.js Express API server for the VeriNode Decentralized Savings Circle (ROSCA) protocol, managing circle lifecycles, collateral tracking, and leniency/governance workflows.
+
+## 🚀 Key Features
+* **Circle Lifecycle Management:** REST API endpoints to create, join, deposit, and process payout rounds for savings circles.
+* **Collateral & Slashing Integrations:** Monitors collateral vault deposits, slashing events, and release state transitions.
+* **Governance & Leniency Voting:** Interfaces for proposing and voting on leniency grace period requests and quadratic voting proposals.
+
+## 🛠️ Tech Stack
+* **Language/Framework:** Node.js / Express
+* **Key Dependencies:** `express`, `pg`, `redis`, OpenTelemetry packages
+
+## 📦 Getting Started
+
+### Prerequisites
+Ensure you have the required toolchains installed:
+* Node.js (v18 or higher recommended)
+* npm (Node Package Manager)
+
+### Installation & Local Setup
+```bash
+# Clone the repository (if running manually)
+git clone https://github.com/VeriNode-Labs/VeriNode-Backend
+
+# Bootstrap local dependencies, config, and build checks
+npm run onboard
+
+# Start the application
+node index.js
+```
+
+For setup options such as pnpm, forced reinstalls, and test execution during onboarding, see [docs/local-onboarding.md](docs/local-onboarding.md).
+
+## 🐳 Docker CI Cache
+
+Docker image builds use a digest-pinned Node.js base image, dependency-layer pinning, and GitHub Actions BuildKit cache warmups. See [docs/docker-ci-cache.md](docs/docker-ci-cache.md) for the layer strategy and benchmark commands.
+
+## 🤝 Contributing
+Contributions are highly welcome. Please ensure your commits are cryptographically signed using GPG or SSH keys. For major structural changes, please open an issue first to discuss your proposal.