Arcanum: a privacy-first compiler layer for source code — TEE now, ZK as the long-term foundation

I want to share a concept I’ve been developing and get feedback from this community specifically — because the people here are exactly who this needs to be stress-tested by. The core idea: Arcanum is a proposed compiler layer where source code privacy is treated as a first principle. Developers write in the language they already know (C++, Rust, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go — anything LLVM or RISC-V compatible). Arcanum transforms it. Plaintext source never exists post-compilation. Two-phase approach: Phase 1 — TEE: Compiled code is wrapped inside hardware-enforced secure enclaves (Intel SGX, AMD SEV, ARM TrustZone). The source logic is unreadable even to the server owner or cloud provider. Near-native performance. Trust assumption: hardware manufacturer. Phase 2 — ZK: As ZK compiler infrastructure matures, Arcanum transitions to transforming source into STARK-based arithmetic circuits — mathematically unreadable without the original source, no trusted hardware required, post-quantum resistant. Trust assumption: none. The distinction from existing ZK tooling: zkLLVM, RISC Zero, and SP1 focus on verifiable execution — proving code ran correctly. Arcanum focuses on a different question: can the source code itself be made permanently unreadable, while remaining provably executable? Two different problems, two different architectures. Honest limitations I’m aware of: Phase 1 places trust in hardware manufacturers (Intel/AMD/ARM) Compiler-level bugs could expose intermediate representations Insider threats (developer leaking source) are out of scope Side-channel attacks are only partially mitigated This is a pre-MVP conceptual whitepaper. I’m a non-technical founder — the architecture needs ZK and compiler engineers to pull it apart. That’s exactly why I’m here. What am I missing at the cryptographic or compiler level? Is the TEE → ZK transition path realistic, or does it have fundamental blockers I haven’t considered? Whitepaper & repo: [GitHub] 13 posts - 4 participants Read full topic