diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index e6a51b9..dde774c 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
-# MercuryMesh Agents
+MercuryMesh MVP Architecture
+- Goal: Privacy-preserving market-data federation for cross-exchange analytics.
+- Core primitives: MarketSignal, AggregatedSignal, PlanDelta, PrivacyBudget, AuditLog, ProvenanceProof.
+- Graph-of-Contracts registry governs signal contracts, adapters, and conformance.
+- Delta-sync with offline reconciliation and Merkle provenance logging.
+- Lightweight TLS-based transport; plugin adapters for venue feeds.
+- MVP includes two starter adapters (venue A and venue B) and a toy analytics frontend later.
 
-Architecture overview
-- Client adapters (VenueAdapter implementations) produce Signals at data sources near venues.
-- A Graph-of-Contracts registry defines Signals, how they map to aggregations, and adapters.
-- Merkle provenance anchors each signal to venue + timestamp for auditability.
-- Delta-sync reconciles signals offline when connectivity is intermittent.
-- Lightweight transport with TLS; adapters expose Python bindings for easy plugin integration.
-- Toy analytics frontend API using FastAPI to demonstrate cross-venue aggregation without exposing raw data.
-
-Tech stack
-- Python 3.9+
-- FastAPI for API surface
-- Pydantic for data models (via Signals)
-- Lightweight Merkle provenance (SHA-256)
-- Simple delta-sync algorithm for MVP
+Tech Stack (in this repo)
+- Language: Python 3.9+
+- Data models: Pydantic for strong validation
+- Registry: simple Python in-tree contracts registry
+- Adapters: two starter Python adapters that simulate venue feeds
+- Tests: pytest-based unit tests
+- Packaging: pyproject/setup.cfg with setuptools-based build
 
 Testing and commands
 - Run tests: bash test.sh
@@ -21,6 +20,6 @@ Testing and commands
 - Linting: optional (not included in MVP)
 
 Contribution rules
-- Keep interfaces stable; add adapters for venues without touching core contracts.
-- Write tests for new features; ensure existing tests remain green.
-- Update AGENTS.md with new architectural notes when changing the contract graph or provenance strategy.
+- Keep interfaces stable; add adapters without touching core contracts unnecessarily.
+- Add tests for new features; ensure existing tests stay green.
+- Do not commit secrets or credentials.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d7796aa..6830685 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,26 +1,14 @@
 # MercuryMesh MVP
 
-MercuryMesh is a privacy-preserving market-data federation for cross-exchange analytics.
-This MVP provides core contracts, a registry scaffold, two starter adapters, a Merkle-based provenance module, delta-sync capabilities, a simple analytics aggregator, and a tiny HTTP API for testing.
+Privacy-preserving market data federation for cross-exchange analytics.
 
-What’s included
-- Core data contracts: Signal, SignalDelta, ProvenanceProof, PrivacyBudget, AuditLog
-- New primitives: AggregatedSignal and PlanDelta for cross-venue analytics and incremental plan updates
-- Graph-of-Contracts registry scaffold
-- Two starter adapters: ExchangeA and BrokerB
-- Merkle provenance module for verifiable signal anchoring
-- Delta-sync engine for offline reconciliation
-- Lightweight analytics aggregator
-- Tiny FastAPI-based backend for end-to-end signal aggregation
-- Tests and packaging metadata
+- Core primitives: MarketSignal, AggregatedSignal, PlanDelta, PrivacyBudget, AuditLog, ProvenanceProof.
+- Graph-of-Contracts registry and two starter adapters (venue A & B).
+- Lightweight TLS-based wiring and a toy provenance module.
+- MVP focused on contract-driven, privacy-preserving signal sharing without raw data exposure.
 
-How to run
-- Install project: python3 -m build
-- Run tests: bash test.sh
-- Start API (example): uvicorn mercurymesh_privacy_preserving_market_da.server:app --reload
+Getting started
+- Run tests and build: bash test.sh
+- The repository uses a minimal in-tree packaging setup (Python) and PyTest-based tests.
 
-This MVP is designed as an extensible foundation. You can plug in real venue adapters and replace synthetic data generation with live feeds while keeping the contract graph stable.
-
-Usage notes
-- The Graph-of-Contracts registry is kept in-memory for MVP. Persist via a simple store if needed.
-- Privacy budgets and audit logging are stubs for MVP; replace with policy-driven logic for production.
+This README intentionally documents the MVP scaffold added in this commit.
diff --git a/mercurymesh/README.md b/mercurymesh/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de83e3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurymesh/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+MercuryMesh MVP
+
+- Lightweight, contract-driven primitives for privacy-preserving cross-venue analytics.
+- Two starter adapters simulate venue feeds and produce MarketSignal blocks.
+- Includes a simple in-tree Graph-of-Contracts registry and data models.
+
+Usage:
+- Import mercurymesh.contracts to construct MarketSignal and AggregatedSignal.
+- Use mercurymesh.registry.GraphOfContractsRegistry to register adapters and contracts.
diff --git a/mercurymesh/__init__.py b/mercurymesh/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1a9b0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurymesh/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+"""MercuryMesh Core Primitives
+Public API for lightweight MVP of the privacy-preserving market data federation.
+"""
+
+from .contracts import MarketSignal, AggregatedSignal, PlanDelta, PrivacyBudget, AuditLog, ProvenanceProof
+__all__ = [
+    "MarketSignal",
+    "AggregatedSignal",
+    "PlanDelta",
+    "PrivacyBudget",
+    "AuditLog",
+    "ProvenanceProof",
+]
diff --git a/mercurymesh/adapters/__init__.py b/mercurymesh/adapters/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a2b5a1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurymesh/adapters/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+"""Adapter stubs for two starter venues (Venue A and Venue B)."""
+
+from .venue_a import VenueAAdapter
+from .venue_b import VenueBAdapter
+
+__all__ = ["VenueAAdapter", "VenueBAdapter"]
diff --git a/mercurymesh/adapters/venue_a.py b/mercurymesh/adapters/venue_a.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cb4f1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurymesh/adapters/venue_a.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+"""Starter adapter: Venue A (simulated FIX/WebSocket/REST feed)."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from typing import Dict
+from mercurymesh.contracts import MarketSignal
+
+
+class VenueAAdapter:
+    name = "venue-a"
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self._start = datetime.utcnow()
+
+    def extract_signal(self) -> MarketSignal:
+        now = datetime.utcnow()
+        # Simple synthetic features to demonstrate MVP plumbing
+        ts = now
+        signal = MarketSignal(
+            venue_id=self.name,
+            symbol="ABC",
+            timestamp=ts,
+            features={
+                "liquidity_proxy": max(0.0, (ts - self._start).total_seconds()),
+                "order_flow_intensity": 0.5,
+                "volatility_proxy": 0.1 + (ts.second % 5) * 0.01,
+            },
+        )
+        return signal
diff --git a/mercurymesh/adapters/venue_b.py b/mercurymesh/adapters/venue_b.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b10f920
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurymesh/adapters/venue_b.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+"""Starter adapter: Venue B (simulated FIX/WebSocket/REST feed)."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from datetime import datetime
+from mercurymesh.contracts import MarketSignal
+
+
+class VenueBAdapter:
+    name = "venue-b"
+
+    def extract_signal(self) -> MarketSignal:
+        now = datetime.utcnow()
+        signal = MarketSignal(
+            venue_id=self.name,
+            symbol="XYZ",
+            timestamp=now,
+            features={
+                "liquidity_proxy": 0.75,
+                "order_flow_intensity": 0.65,
+                "volatility_proxy": 0.2,
+            },
+        )
+        return signal
diff --git a/mercurymesh/contracts.py b/mercurymesh/contracts.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1841cf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurymesh/contracts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Any
+from datetime import datetime
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+
+
+class MarketSignal(BaseModel):
+    venue_id: str
+    symbol: str
+    timestamp: datetime
+    features: Dict[str, float]
+
+
+class AggregatedSignal(BaseModel):
+    venues: List[str]
+    feature_vector: Dict[str, float]
+    privacy_budget_used: float
+    nonce: str
+    merkle_proof: Optional[str] = None
+
+
+class PlanDelta(BaseModel):
+    version: int
+    timestamp: datetime
+    delta: Dict[str, Any]
+
+
+class PrivacyBudget(BaseModel):
+    total: float
+    consumed: float
+    remaining: float
+
+
+class AuditLog(BaseModel):
+    entries: List[str]
+    last_updated: Optional[datetime] = None
+
+
+class ProvenanceProof(BaseModel):
+    venue_id: str
+    timestamp: datetime
+    merkle_root: str
+    proof: str
diff --git a/mercurymesh/registry.py b/mercurymesh/registry.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc26767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurymesh/registry.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Dict, Any
+
+class GraphOfContractsRegistry:
+    """Minimal in-tree registry for adapters and signal contracts."""
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.version: int = 1
+        self.adapters: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
+        self.contracts: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
+
+    def register_adapter(self, name: str, info: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        self.adapters[name] = info
+
+    def register_contract(self, name: str, info: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        self.contracts[name] = info
+
+    def get_adapter(self, name: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        return self.adapters.get(name, {})
+
+    def get_contract(self, name: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        return self.contracts.get(name, {})
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b9d0e20..9bf30c8 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,16 +1,20 @@
 [build-system]
-requires = ["setuptools", "wheel"]
+requires = ["setuptools>=42", "wheel"]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
-name = "mercurymesh-privacy-preserving-market-da"
+name = "mercurymesh"
 version = "0.1.0"
-description = "Privacy-preserving market-data federation MVP (MercuryMesh)"
+description = "Privacy-preserving market data federation core primitives for MercuryMesh MVP"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.9"
+license = {text = "MIT"}
+authors = [{name = "OpenCode", email = "dev@example.com"}]
 dependencies = [
-  "fastapi>=0.101.0",
-  "uvicorn[standard]>=0.22.0",
-  "pydantic>=1.10.0",
-  "pytest>=7.0.0",
+  "pydantic>=1.10,<2",
+  "pytest>=7,<8",
 ]
+
+[tool.setuptools.packages.find]
+where = ["."]
+exclude = []
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e932b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+[metadata]
+name = mercurymesh
+version = 0.1.0
+description = Privacy-preserving market data federation MVP primitives
+long_description = file: README.md
+long_description_content_type = text/markdown
+license = MIT
+classifiers =
+  Programming Language :: Python :: 3
+  License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
+
+[options]
+packages = find:
+python_requires = >=3.9
+install_requires =
+  pydantic>=1.10,<2
+
+[options.packages.find]
+where = .
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index e03eaa1..4019eed 100644
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -euo pipefail
 
-echo "Running unit tests (pytest) ..."
+echo "Running tests..."
 pytest -q
 
-echo "Building package with setuptools..."
+echo "Building package..."
 python3 -m build
 
 echo "All tests passed and package built."
+if [ -f READY_TO_PUBLISH ]; then
+  echo "READY_TO_PUBLISH flag detected. Proceeding with publish."
+else
+  echo "ERROR: READY_TO_PUBLISH flag not found. Aborting."
+  exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/tests/test_contracts.py b/tests/test_contracts.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49b1238
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_contracts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import pytest
+from datetime import datetime
+
+from mercurymesh.contracts import MarketSignal, AggregatedSignal, PlanDelta, PrivacyBudget, AuditLog, ProvenanceProof
+
+
+def test_market_signal_roundtrip():
+    ms = MarketSignal(
+        venue_id="venue-a",
+        symbol="ABC",
+        timestamp=datetime.utcnow(),
+        features={"liquidity_proxy": 1.0, "order_flow_intensity": 0.5},
+    )
+    assert ms.venue_id == "venue-a"
+    assert ms.symbol == "ABC"
+    assert isinstance(ms.features, dict)
+
+
+def test_aggregated_signal_schema():
+    agg = AggregatedSignal(
+        venues=["venue-a", "venue-b"],
+        feature_vector={"liquidity_proxy": 0.8, "volatility_proxy": 0.2},
+        privacy_budget_used=0.1,
+        nonce="nonce-123",
+        merkle_proof=None,
+    )
+    assert "liquidity_proxy" in agg.feature_vector
+
+
+def test_provenance_and_audit():
+    prov = ProvenanceProof(
+        venue_id="venue-a",
+        timestamp=datetime.utcnow(),
+        merkle_root="abc123",
+        proof="proofdata",
+    )
+    audit = AuditLog(entries=["signal produced"], last_updated=None)
+    assert prov.venue_id == "venue-a"
+    assert isinstance(audit.entries, list)