Build Simple Node.js Express API for User Login & Signup

I need a compact REST API built with Node.js and [login to view URL] that handles user authentication cleanly and securely. The signup route should accept only email and password, hash the password with bcrypt, save the user, and immediately return a JWT. A separate login route must verify the credentials and issue a fresh token. After authentication, 2–3 sample protected endpoints should demonstrate token verification. They can be anything generic—think “/profile” or “/dashboard”—as long as access is blocked when the JWT is missing or invalid. I do not require role-based access control; straightforward token-based gating is enough. Code quality matters more than bells and whistles. I’d like to see: • Modular structure (routes, controllers, services, middleware) • Joi or a similar library for basic request validation • Clear error handling with consistent JSON responses • Environment-driven secrets (.env) and a concise README explaining setup, env variables, and how to run tests or sample calls (cURL/Postman collection) Feel free to choose a lightweight database or even an in-memory store—persistence is not the focus here; demonstrating secure auth flow is. Deliver the complete source (Git repository or zipped project) ready to npm install && npm start. If this sounds straightforward to you, let me know your estimated turnaround time and any clarifying questions.

Project ID: 40406979