diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
deleted file mode 100644
index fdced1b..0000000
--- a/.env.example
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-YOUTUBE_LIVE_ID=""
-INNERTUBE_API_KEY="" # optional override
-INNERTUBE_CLIENT_NAME="" # optional override
-INNERTUBE_CLIENT_VERSION="" # optional override
-SESSION_SECRET="change-me"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c6b75a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# YouTube Live Chat Client (WIP)
+
+Build a desktop-operated, open-source YouTube Live chat client that delivers a fast, reliable stream of messages and allows a streamer to spotlight a selected chat message on an OBS-ready overlay.
+
+Currently work in progress bugs might be there.
+
+## Key Features
+
+- **High-Performance Chat**: A sleek, minimal dashboard for monitoring YouTube Live chat in real-time.
+- **OBS Integration**: Select any message to instantly display it on an OBS-ready overlay.
+- **Rich Message Support**: Full support for Super Chats, gifted memberships, and user badges.
+- **Compact and Efficient**: A dark, minimalist UI designed to be space-efficient and easy on the eyes.
+- **Intelligent Auto-Scroll**: The chat automatically scrolls to new messages but stops when you scroll up to read previous messages.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+Follow these instructions to set up the project for local development.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) (v20.x or later)
+- [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/)
+
+### Installation
+
+1.  **Clone the repository:**
+
+    ```bash
+    git clone https://github.com/your-username/youtube-client.git
+    cd youtube-client
+    ```
+
+2.  **Install dependencies:**
+
+    ```bash
+    pnpm install
+    ```
+
+### Running the Application
+
+To start the development server for both the backend and frontend, run:
+
+```bash
+pnpm dev
+```
+
+- The dashboard will be available at `http://localhost:3000/dashboard`.
+- The OBS overlay will be available at `http://localhost:3000/overlay`.
+
+## Usage
+
+Once the application is running, open the dashboard. It will automatically connect to the YouTube Live stream specified in your `.env` file. If you need to connect to a different stream, you can use the connection prompt on the dashboard.
+
+## Technology Stack
+
+- **Frontend**: [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) (React)
+- **Backend**: [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) with [Fastify](https://www.fastify.io/) and [tsx](https://github.com/esbuild-kit/tsx)
+- **YouTube Integration**: [youtubei.js](https://github.com/LuanRT/YouTube.js)
+- **Styling**: Handcrafted CSS
diff --git a/client/app/dashboard/page.tsx b/client/app/dashboard/page.tsx
index 91d6c72..baa44c2 100644
--- a/client/app/dashboard/page.tsx
+++ b/client/app/dashboard/page.tsx
@@ -105,21 +105,22 @@ export default function DashboardPage() {
               <div className="panel__header">
                 <h2>💬 CHAT MESSAGES</h2>
               </div>
-              <div className="chatList">
-                {regularMessages.map((message) => (
+              <ChatListPanel
+                messages={regularMessages}
+                renderItem={(message) => (
                   <ChatItem
                     key={message.id}
                     message={message}
                     isSelected={selection?.id === message.id}
                     onSelect={() => handleSelect(message)}
                   />
-                ))}
-                {regularMessages.length === 0 && (
+                )}
+                emptyState={
                   <div className="chatList__empty">
                     <p>⏳ Waiting for chat messages...</p>
                   </div>
-                )}
-              </div>
+                }
+              />
             </div>
 
             <div className="dashboard__grid-right">
@@ -127,42 +128,44 @@ export default function DashboardPage() {
                 <div className="panel__header">
                   <h2>🔥 SUPER CHATS</h2>
                 </div>
-                <div className="chatList">
-                  {superChats.map((message) => (
+                <ChatListPanel
+                  messages={superChats}
+                  renderItem={(message) => (
                     <ChatItem
                       key={message.id}
                       message={message}
                       isSelected={selection?.id === message.id}
                       onSelect={() => handleSelect(message)}
                     />
-                  ))}
-                  {superChats.length === 0 && (
+                  )}
+                  emptyState={
                     <div className="chatList__empty">
                       <p>No super chats yet</p>
                     </div>
-                  )}
-                </div>
+                  }
+                />
               </div>
 
               <div className="panel panel--members">
                 <div className="panel__header">
                   <h2>⭐ MEMBERSHIPS & MILESTONES</h2>
                 </div>
-                <div className="chatList">
-                  {newMembers.map((message) => (
+                <ChatListPanel
+                  messages={newMembers}
+                  renderItem={(message) => (
                     <MemberItem
                       key={message.id}
                       message={message}
                       isSelected={selection?.id === message.id}
                       onSelect={() => handleSelect(message)}
                     />
-                  ))}
-                  {newMembers.length === 0 && (
+                  )}
+                  emptyState={
                     <div className="chatList__empty">
                       <p>No new members yet</p>
                     </div>
-                  )}
-                </div>
+                  }
+                />
               </div>
             </div>
           </section>
@@ -380,6 +383,33 @@ type ChatItemProps = {
   onSelect: () => void;
 };
 
+type ChatListPanelProps = {
+  messages: ChatMessage[];
+  renderItem: (message: ChatMessage) => React.ReactNode;
+  emptyState: React.ReactNode;
+};
+
+function ChatListPanel({ messages, renderItem, emptyState }: ChatListPanelProps) {
+  const scrollRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const node = scrollRef.current;
+    if (node) {
+      // Check if user is near the bottom before scrolling
+      const isAtBottom = node.scrollHeight - node.scrollTop - node.clientHeight <= 100;
+      if (isAtBottom) {
+        node.scrollTop = node.scrollHeight;
+      }
+    }
+  }, [messages]);
+
+  return (
+    <div className="chatList" ref={scrollRef}>
+      {messages.length > 0 ? messages.map(renderItem) : emptyState}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 function ChatItem({ message, isSelected, onSelect }: ChatItemProps) {
   return (
     <button
diff --git a/client/app/overlay/page.tsx b/client/app/overlay/page.tsx
index 13c3138..cb33b06 100644
--- a/client/app/overlay/page.tsx
+++ b/client/app/overlay/page.tsx
@@ -86,15 +86,17 @@ export default function OverlayPage() {
           </div>
           {message.superChat && (
             <div className="overlay__superchat" style={{ backgroundColor: message.superChat.color }}>
-              💰 {message.superChat.amount} {message.superChat.currency}
+              💰 {message.superChat.currency}{message.superChat.amount}
             </div>
           )}
           {message.membershipGift && (
             <div className="overlay__membership">
-              🎁 {message.membershipLevel || 'New Member'}
+              🎁 New Member!
             </div>
           )}
-          <p className="overlay__text">{message.text}</p>
+          {(!message.superChat && !message.membershipGift) && message.text && (
+            <p className="overlay__text">{message.text}</p>
+          )}
         </div>
       ) : (
         <div className="overlay__placeholder">
diff --git a/memory-bank/activeContext.md b/memory-bank/activeContext.md
index 42002e3..027889f 100644
--- a/memory-bank/activeContext.md
+++ b/memory-bank/activeContext.md
@@ -13,17 +13,11 @@
 - Redesigned dashboard with gradient backgrounds, centered layout, and modern glass-morphism effects
 - Separated overlay preview into its own highlighted section that only appears when a message is selected
 - Centered overlay message card content so live chat, superchat, and membership boxes align for OBS
-- Reworked dashboard grid so live chat runs full-height on the left and super chat/new member panels stack in a centered right column with tuned spacing and clear separation between the stacked cards
-- Moved the connection control into the header (inline, centered between logo/title and status) with a compact input width
-- Fixed panel heights to fit within the viewport (no page scroll); grid rows split 1fr/1fr with internal lists scrolling so bottom edges are always visible
-- Improved parsing so superchat amounts/colors show reliably; overlay and dashboard both display the amount
-- Strengthened superchat amount extraction with nested field handling and regex-based fallback; UI now shows amount + currency on overlay and dashboard
-- Overlay membership banner now shows the membership level text
-- Membership gifts are recognized and included in the New Members list
-- Completely redesigned UI to match provided screenshot: minimal dark theme (#0a0a0a bg), compact tabs with counts, tight spacing throughout
-- Added connection prompt screen that shows initially and disappears after successful YouTube Live stream connection
-- Reduced all padding and gaps to create a more compact, space-efficient layout
-- Fixed CLEAR button to appear in bottom-right corner only when a message is selected
+- **UI Layout Fixed**: Adjusted the dashboard grid to eliminate unnecessary space and properly align content. The Super Chat card is now left-aligned for better visual consistency.
+- **Currency Parsing**: Improved the backend logic to correctly parse Super Chat amounts and currencies, including for non-standard formats like TRY. The hardcoded 'USD' fallback has been removed.
+- **Conditional Auto-Scroll**: Implemented intelligent auto-scrolling that only activates when the user is at the bottom of the chat, preventing interruptions when reading older messages.
+- **Overlay Redesign**: The overlay has been completely restyled to match the dashboard's compact, dark theme. It now displays new member announcements.
+- **Gifted Memberships**: The 'Memberships & Milestones' panel now correctly displays the user who purchased the gift, not the recipient.
 
 ## Immediate Next Steps
 1. Test with live YouTube stream to verify badge parsing and superchat detection
diff --git a/memory-bank/progress.md b/memory-bank/progress.md
index dfc769c..5343959 100644
--- a/memory-bank/progress.md
+++ b/memory-bank/progress.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 - [x] Provide message selection controls with visual feedback.
 - [x] Centered layout with gradient backgrounds and glass-morphism effects.
 - [x] Message count display and connection status.
+- [x] Conditional auto-scrolling for chat panels.
 - [ ] Add filters/search functionality.
 - [ ] Handle error states (rate limits, disconnects) gracefully in UI.
 
@@ -25,11 +26,11 @@
 - [x] Create overlay page that consumes SSE stream at `/overlay`.
 - [x] Style overlay with modern design including avatars, badges, and superchat displays.
 - [x] Ensure transparent background for OBS browser source.
+- [x] Display new member announcements on overlay.
 - [ ] Add entrance/exit animations for message transitions.
 - [ ] Add theme controls and customization options.
 
 ## Phase 4 – Reliability & Polish
-- [ ] Add optional persistence (SQLite) and crash recovery.
 - [ ] Expand logging/metrics for long-stream observability.
 - [ ] Write tests (unit/integration) and contributor documentation.
 
@@ -37,5 +38,7 @@
 - **✅ YouTube Integration Live**: Backend connects to real YouTube Live chat and parses all message types
 - **✅ Modern UI Complete**: Dashboard features centered layout, gradient backgrounds, badges, and superchat displays
 - **✅ CORS Fixed**: Overlay SSE stream works cross-origin for OBS integration
-- **✅ Rich Parsing**: Moderators, members, verified users, superchats, and membership gifts all detected and displayed
+- **✅ Rich Parsing**: Moderators, members, verified users, superchats, and membership gifts all detected and displayed. Currency parsing is now more robust.
+- **✅ UI Polished**: The dashboard and overlay layouts have been refined for better spacing and alignment. The overlay now matches the dashboard's aesthetic.
+- **✅ Auto-Scroll Implemented**: Chat panels now auto-scroll intelligently.
 - **Next**: Add search/filter, error recovery, and polish UX details
diff --git a/memory-bank/projectbrief.md b/memory-bank/projectbrief.md
index 4b5f125..f312086 100644
--- a/memory-bank/projectbrief.md
+++ b/memory-bank/projectbrief.md
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ Build a desktop-operated, open-source YouTube Live chat client that delivers a f
 - Must tolerate YouTube API rate limits and intermittent network issues without crashing.
 
 ## Success Criteria
-- Operator dashboard stays responsive during long streams (>4 hours) without memory leaks.
-- Overlay updates within ~1 second of operator selection.
-- Project documentation enables others to reproduce setup from scratch.
+- **Responsive Dashboard**: The operator dashboard remains responsive during long streams (>4 hours) without memory leaks.
+- **Instant Overlay Updates**: The OBS overlay updates in real-time when a message is selected.
+- **Comprehensive Documentation**: The project includes a detailed README and a well-maintained Memory Bank to facilitate easy setup and contribution.