diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd5590b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+node_modules/
+.npmrc
+.env
+.env.*
+__tests__/
+coverage/
+.nyc_output/
+dist/
+build/
+.cache/
+*.log
+.DS_Store
+tmp/
+.tmp/
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
+.venv/
+venv/
+*.egg-info/
+.pytest_cache/
+READY_TO_PUBLISH
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5113695
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# BeXProof Agent Guidelines
+
+Overview
+- BeXProof is a modular verifier/enforcement stack for Best Execution in equity trading. The repository hosts a production-grade MVP intended for extension by follow-on agents.
+
+Tech Stack (initial MVP)
+- Language: Python 3.9+
+- Core modules: policy DSL, verifiable logs, ledger, ZKP prototype, privacy toolkit, governance, adapters
+- API surface (optional later): FastAPI for internal services; wiring can be added in future tasks.
+
+Testing & Build
+- Tests are written with pytest.
+- Packaging builds with setuptools via pyproject.toml/setup.py and python -m build.
+- The repository includes test.sh that runs tests and packaging checks.
+
+How to contribute (high-level rules)
+- Add small, well-scoped changes; prefer minimal, correct edits.
+- Write tests for new functionality; ensure tests pass locally before proposing changes.
+- Update AGENTS.md with any new architectural decisions that future agents must honor.
+- Do not push to remote unless explicitly requested; the orchestration layer handles publishing steps.
+
+Repository rules
+- Always start by examining the codebase with Glob and Grep (rg-based tooling).
+- Use non-destructive edits; avoid altering unrelated files.
+- Persist changes in this session; aim to complete a coherent feature chunk before moving to the next.
+
+Checklist for new features
+- [ ] Design a cohesive public API for the feature
+- [ ] Implement minimal viable integration points
+- [ ] Add unit tests that exercise core logic
+- [ ] Ensure packaging/test script runs cleanly
+- [ ] Document how to deploy and test the feature locally
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d744512..3247a13 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
-# idea164-bexproof-verifiable-best
+# BeXProof: Verifiable Best Execution and Compliance Verifier (Python MVP)
 
-Source logic for Idea #164
\ No newline at end of file
+BeXProof is a modular, open-source verifier and enforcement layer designed to accompany equity order routers and brokers. It guarantees and proves Best Execution while preserving data privacy, using a policy-driven DSL, verifiable routing logs, a ZKP-inspired proof substrate, and a tamper-evident ledger for auditable outcomes.
+
+What you will find in this repository
+- A production-oriented Python MVP with a small, extensible architecture.
+- Core primitives: policy DSL, verifiable routing logs, ZKP prototype, auditable ledger, adapters, privacy-preserving statistics, and governance.
+- A test suite with basic unit tests for each primitive.
+- A packaging and publishing readiness plan (AGENTS.md, READY_TO_PUBLISH).
+
+How to run locally
+- Install dependencies and run tests via the included test script (test.sh).
+- The MVP intentionally keeps crypto lightweight (HMAC-based signatures for demonstration) to enable fast iteration; replace with real cryptography when integrating into a production environment.
+
+This repository is organized to be production-friendly and test-driven from the start.
+
+Hooking into packaging
+- This package is prepared for Python packaging under the name `idea164_bexproof_verifiable_best` as per the publishing requirements.
+
+Note: See AGENTS.md for architectural guidelines and how future agents should contribute.
diff --git a/bexproof/__init__.py b/bexproof/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b2ccbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"""BeXProof Python package initializer."""
+from .logs import Signer, make_signed_log, verify_log
+from .policy import Policy, load_policy, evaluate_policy
+from .ledger import TamperProofLedger
+from .zkp import generate_proof
+from .adapters import BrokerGatewayAdapter, ExchangeGatewayAdapter
+from .privacy import laplace_noise, privacy_aggregate
+from .governance import Governance
+
+__all__ = [
+    "Signer",
+    "make_signed_log",
+    "verify_log",
+    "Policy",
+    "load_policy",
+    "evaluate_policy",
+    "TamperProofLedger",
+    "generate_proof",
+    "BrokerGatewayAdapter",
+    "ExchangeGatewayAdapter",
+    "laplace_noise",
+    "privacy_aggregate",
+    "Governance",
+]
diff --git a/bexproof/adapters.py b/bexproof/adapters.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c27e74f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/adapters.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+"""Lightweight adapters for broker and exchange gateways.
+
+These are minimal stubs that map internal decision signals to canonical signals
+exposed to external systems. They are intentionally small MVP implementations.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+from typing import Dict, Any
+
+
+class BrokerGatewayAdapter:
+    def __init__(self, config: Dict[str, Any] = None):
+        self.config = config or {}
+
+    def adapt_order(self, order_event: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        # Example mapping: extract a few key signals from an internal order event
+        return {
+            "type": "order_decision",
+            "order_id": order_event.get("order_id"),
+            "venue": order_event.get("venue"),
+            "signal": order_event.get("signal", "unknown"),
+        }
+
+
+class ExchangeGatewayAdapter:
+    def __init__(self, config: Dict[str, Any] = None):
+        self.config = config or {}
+
+    def adapt_execution(self, execution_event: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        return {
+            "type": "execution_report",
+            "order_id": execution_event.get("order_id"),
+            "price": execution_event.get("price"),
+            "latency_ms": execution_event.get("latency_ms"),
+        }
diff --git a/bexproof/governance.py b/bexproof/governance.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6af775
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/governance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+"""Governance primitives for BeXProof policy changes."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+from typing import Dict, Set
+
+
+class Governance:
+    def __init__(self, signers: Set[str] = None, required: int = 2):
+        self.signers = set(signers or {"alice", "bob", "carol"})
+        self.required = max(1, min(len(self.signers), required))
+        self.proposals: Dict[str, Dict] = {}
+        self.approvals: Dict[str, Set[str]] = {}
+
+    def propose(self, policy_id: str, policy_text: str) -> None:
+        self.proposals[policy_id] = {"policy": policy_text, "approved": False}
+        self.approvals[policy_id] = set()
+
+    def approve(self, policy_id: str, signer: str) -> bool:
+        if signer not in self.signers:
+            return False
+        if policy_id not in self.proposals:
+            return False
+        self.approvals[policy_id].add(signer)
+        if len(self.approvals[policy_id]) >= self.required:
+            self.proposals[policy_id]["approved"] = True
+        return True
+
+    def is_approved(self, policy_id: str) -> bool:
+        return bool(self.proposals.get(policy_id, {}).get("approved", False))
diff --git a/bexproof/ledger.py b/bexproof/ledger.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f64e343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/ledger.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+"""Tamper-evident ledger scaffold for BeXProof.
+
+This ledger appends entries with a simple hash-chain to provide an auditable trail.
+It's a lightweight MVP; a production system would use a proper append-only store.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import json
+import time
+import hashlib
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Dict, Any
+
+
+class TamperProofLedger:
+    def __init__(self, path: str = "bexproof_ledger.log"):
+        self.path = Path(path)
+        self.path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        self._last_hash = self._load_last_hash()
+
+    def _load_last_hash(self) -> str:
+        if not self.path.exists():
+            return ""  # no previous hash
+        # read last line to pull last hash if present
+        last = None
+        with self.path.open("r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+            for line in f:
+                last = line
+        if not last:
+            return ""
+        try:
+            obj = json.loads(last)
+            return obj.get("hash", "")
+        except Exception:
+            return ""
+
+    def _hash_entry(self, entry: Dict[str, Any], prev_hash: str) -> str:
+        payload = json.dumps(entry, sort_keys=True).encode("utf-8")
+        data = payload + prev_hash.encode("utf-8")
+        return hashlib.sha256(data).hexdigest()
+
+    def append(self, entry: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        prev_hash = self._last_hash or ""
+        h = self._hash_entry(entry, prev_hash)
+        record = {
+            "entry": entry,
+            "timestamp": int(time.time() * 1000),
+            "prev_hash": prev_hash,
+            "hash": h,
+        }
+        with self.path.open("a", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+            f.write(json.dumps(record, sort_keys=True) + "\n")
+        self._last_hash = h
+        return record
diff --git a/bexproof/logs.py b/bexproof/logs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57cb95d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/logs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+"""Verifiable routing logs with lightweight signing.
+
+This module provides a Signer, log entry creator, and verifier. For demonstration,
+signatures use HMAC-SHA256 with a secret key. Replace with proper public-key crypto
+in production.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import json
+import time
+import hmac
+import hashlib
+
+class Signer:
+    def __init__(self, key: str):
+        self.key = key.encode("utf-8")
+
+    def sign_payload(self, payload: dict) -> str:
+        data = json.dumps(payload, sort_keys=True).encode("utf-8")
+        return hmac.new(self.key, data, hashlib.sha256).hexdigest()
+
+def make_signed_log(order_id: str, venue: str, price: float, latency_ms: int, signer: Signer, timestamp: int | None = None) -> dict:
+    payload = {
+        "order_id": order_id,
+        "venue": venue,
+        "price": price,
+        "latency_ms": latency_ms,
+        "timestamp": timestamp or int(time.time() * 1000),
+    }
+    signature = signer.sign_payload(payload)
+    payload["signature"] = signature
+    return payload
+
+def verify_log(log: dict, signer: Signer) -> bool:
+    if "signature" not in log:
+        return False
+    sig = log["signature"]
+    payload = {k: v for k, v in log.items() if k != "signature"}
+    expected = signer.sign_payload(payload)
+    return hmac.compare_digest(sig, expected)
diff --git a/bexproof/policy.py b/bexproof/policy.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2aedd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/policy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+"""Simple policy DSL and evaluator for BeXProof.
+
+This module provides a lightweight policy container and a tiny evaluator.
+Policies are represented as JSON-like strings for simplicity in this MVP.
+In production, replace with a proper DSL parser and validator.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import json
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Dict, Any
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Policy:
+    version: int
+    rules: Dict[str, Any]
+
+
+def load_policy(policy_text: str) -> Policy:
+    # Accept either JSON or Python-like dict string (with single quotes)
+    data = None
+    try:
+        data = json.loads(policy_text)
+    except Exception:
+        # try Python-style dict string
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(policy_text.replace("'", '"'))
+        except Exception:
+            raise ValueError("Policy text is not valid JSON or Python-like dict string")
+    if not isinstance(data, dict) or "version" not in data or "rules" not in data:
+        raise ValueError("Policy must contain 'version' and 'rules' keys")
+    return Policy(version=int(data["version"]), rules=data["rules"])
+
+
+def evaluate_policy(log: Dict[str, Any], policy: Policy) -> bool:
+    # Minimal evaluation: all top-level rules keys are checked if present in log
+    # This is a small MVP; in production, rules would be richer and more formal.
+    for key, thresh in policy.rules.items():
+        if key == "price_improvement_min":
+            if log.get("price_improvement", 0) < float(thresh):
+                return False
+        elif key == "latency_budget_ms":
+            if log.get("latency_ms", float("inf")) > int(thresh):
+                return False
+        elif key == "slippage_max":
+            if log.get("slippage", float("inf")) > float(thresh):
+                return False
+        # additional rules can be added here
+    return True
diff --git a/bexproof/privacy.py b/bexproof/privacy.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c8af8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/privacy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+"""Privacy-preserving statistics utilities.
+
+This module provides a simple differential-privacy-friendly aggregate function
+by adding Laplace noise to the sum. The actual privacy guarantees are simplified
+for MVP purposes and should be upgraded for production.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import random
+import math
+
+
+def laplace_noise(scale: float) -> float:
+    # Inverse transform sampling for Laplace(0, scale)
+    u = random.uniform(-0.5, 0.5)
+    return scale * math.copysign(1.0, u) * math.log(1 - 2 * abs(u))
+
+
+def privacy_aggregate(values, epsilon: float) -> float:
+    if not values:
+        return 0.0
+    true_sum = sum(values)
+    # Simple Laplace mechanism; scale = 1/epsilon
+    scale = 1.0 / max(epsilon, 1e-9)
+    noise = laplace_noise(scale)
+    return true_sum + noise
diff --git a/bexproof/zkp.py b/bexproof/zkp.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5866706
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bexproof/zkp.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+"""ZKP prototype for BeXProof.
+
+This is a lightweight stand-in for a real ZKP back-end. It produces a compact
+certificate-like proof deterministically derived from the log entry and policy.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import json
+import hashlib
+from .policy import Policy
+
+
+def generate_proof(log_entry: dict, policy: Policy) -> dict:
+    # Produce a deterministic, compact proof representation (string hash)
+    seed = {
+        "log": log_entry,
+        "policy_version": policy.version,
+        "policy_rules": policy.rules,
+    }
+    blob = json.dumps(seed, sort_keys=True).encode("utf-8")
+    proof_hash = hashlib.sha256(blob).hexdigest()
+    return {"proof": f"zkp-{proof_hash}"}
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dcd205
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=61", "wheel"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[project]
+name = "idea164_bexproof_verifiable_best"
+version = "0.0.1"
+description = "BeXProof: Verifiable Best Execution and Compliance Verifier for Equity Trading (Python MVP)"
+readme = "README.md"
+requires-python = ">=3.9"
+license = { text = "MIT" }
+authors = [ { name = "OpenCode SWARM" } ]
+dependencies = [
+  "setuptools>=61",
+  "wheel",
+  "pytest>=7",
+  "cryptography>=3.4; python_version >= '3.9'",
+  "pydantic>=1.9; python_version >= '3.9'",
+  "typing-extensions>=3.7; python_version < '3.11'",
+  "fastapi>=0.78; python_version >= '3.9'",
+  "uvicorn[standard]"  # for potential API server in future
+]
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1df0d91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from setuptools import setup, find_packages
+
+setup(
+    name="idea164_bexproof_verifiable_best",
+    version="0.0.1",
+    description="BeXProof: Verifiable Best Execution and Compliance Verifier for Equity Trading (Python MVP)",
+    packages=find_packages(exclude=("tests", "docs")),
+    python_requires=">=3.9",
+    include_package_data=True,
+)
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72edec3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+echo "Installing package in editable mode..."
+python3 -m pip install -e .
+echo "Running tests..."
+pytest -q
+echo "Building package..."
+python3 -m build
+echo "All tests passed and package built."
diff --git a/tests/test_adapters.py b/tests/test_adapters.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb8ea70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_adapters.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+def test_adapters_basic_mapping():
+    from bexproof.adapters import BrokerGatewayAdapter, ExchangeGatewayAdapter
+    b = BrokerGatewayAdapter()
+    e = ExchangeGatewayAdapter()
+    assert isinstance(b.adapt_order({"order_id": "ORD1"}), dict)
+    assert isinstance(e.adapt_execution({"order_id": "ORD1"}), dict)
diff --git a/tests/test_governance.py b/tests/test_governance.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d7c825
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_governance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from bexproof.governance import Governance
+
+
+def test_governance_approvals():
+    g = Governance(signers={"alice", "bob", "carol"}, required=2)
+    g.propose("p1", "policy content")
+    g.approve("p1", "alice")
+    assert g.is_approved("p1") is False
+    g.approve("p1", "bob")
+    assert g.is_approved("p1") is True
diff --git a/tests/test_ledger.py b/tests/test_ledger.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87f62ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_ledger.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+from bexproof.ledger import TamperProofLedger
+
+
+def test_ledger_append_and_hash(tmp_path: Path):
+    ledger_path = tmp_path / "ledger.log"
+    ledger = TamperProofLedger(str(ledger_path))
+    entry1 = {"order_id": "ORD1", "venue": "VENUE1"}
+    rec1 = ledger.append(entry1)
+    assert "hash" in rec1
+    entry2 = {"order_id": "ORD2", "venue": "VENUE2"}
+    rec2 = ledger.append(entry2)
+    assert rec2["prev_hash"] == rec1["hash"]
diff --git a/tests/test_logs.py b/tests/test_logs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dda5ff8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_logs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+from bexproof.logs import Signer, make_signed_log, verify_log
+
+
+def test_sign_and_verify():
+    signer = Signer("supersecretkey")
+    log = make_signed_log("ORD1", "VENUE1", 101.0, 3, signer)
+    assert verify_log(log, signer) is True
+    # Tamper detection
+    log_bad = dict(log)
+    log_bad["price"] = 999.0
+    assert verify_log(log_bad, signer) is False
diff --git a/tests/test_policy.py b/tests/test_policy.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32ebc9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_policy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import json
+import time
+from bexproof.policy import Policy, load_policy, evaluate_policy
+
+
+def test_policy_load_and_eval_pass():
+    policy_text = json.dumps({
+        "version": 1,
+        "rules": {
+            "price_improvement_min": 0.001,
+            "latency_budget_ms": 10,
+        },
+    })
+    policy = load_policy(policy_text)
+    log = {
+        "order_id": "ORD1",
+        "venue": "VENUE1",
+        "price": 100.5,
+        "latency_ms": 5,
+        "price_improvement": 0.002,
+        "timestamp": int(time.time() * 1000),
+    }
+    assert evaluate_policy(log, policy) is True
+
+
+def test_policy_eval_fail_due_to_latency():
+    policy_text = json.dumps({
+        "version": 1,
+        "rules": {
+            "latency_budget_ms": 2,
+        },
+    })
+    policy = load_policy(policy_text)
+    log = {
+        "order_id": "ORD2",
+        "venue": "VENUE1",
+        "latency_ms": 5,
+        "price_improvement": 0.0005,
+        "timestamp": int(time.time() * 1000),
+    }
+    assert evaluate_policy(log, policy) is False
diff --git a/tests/test_privacy.py b/tests/test_privacy.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6db2cd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_privacy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+from bexproof.privacy import privacy_aggregate
+
+
+def test_privacy_aggregate_basic():
+    values = [1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0]
+    result = privacy_aggregate(values, epsilon=1.0)
+    # result should be within a plausible range around the true sum (10.0)
+    assert isinstance(result, float)
+    assert abs(result - 10.0) < 5.0  # allow some noise margin in MVP
diff --git a/tests/test_proofs.py b/tests/test_proofs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be545e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_proofs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import json
+from bexproof.policy import Policy
+from bexproof.zkp import generate_proof
+
+
+def test_generate_proof_consistency():
+    policy = Policy(version=1, rules={"price_improvement_min": 0.001})
+    log_entry = {"order_id": "ORD1", "venue": "VENUE1", "price": 100.0, "latency_ms": 5}
+    proof = generate_proof(log_entry, policy)
+    assert "proof" in proof
+    # Re-generating with same inputs should yield same proof
+    proof2 = generate_proof(log_entry, policy)
+    assert proof == proof2