Align historical docs with canonical root

Author: sls_0x

AUDIT_FINDINGS.md

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 
 # Dark Null Protocol v1 — Audit Execution Report
 
+Historical note: this report documents an older v18/v1 audit pass against files and flows that are not the same as the current canonical public root.
+
 **Date:** January 10, 2026
 **Auditor:** AI Assistant (Cursor/Gemini)
 **Target:** Dark Null Protocol v1 (Diamond Release)
@@ -121,4 +123,3 @@ Remove source directories from `.gitignore`. Only ignore build artifacts (`targe
 ---
 
 **Signed:** AI Auditor (Dark Null Protocol)
-

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+Historical note: older entries below describe devnet milestones and historical release framing. They are not the same thing as the current public-root assurance level described in [`README.md`](./README.md), [`PROTOTYPE_STATUS.md`](./PROTOTYPE_STATUS.md), and [`SECURITY_MODEL.md`](./SECURITY_MODEL.md).
+
 ### Planned
 - Mainnet deployment (pending audit)
 - Multi-region relayer deployment
@@ -91,9 +93,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [1.0.0] - 2026-01-09
 
-### 🎉 Initial Production Release (Devnet)
+### 🎉 Initial Public Devnet Milestone
 
-**Dark Null Protocol V18 (Dark Null v1)** — First production-ready release on Solana Devnet.
+**Dark Null Protocol V18 (Dark Null v1)** — Historical devnet milestone later superseded by the current canonical public-root track.
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -194,4 +196,3 @@ No automatic migration — this preserves privacy by not linking old/new deposit
 [1.22.0]: https://github.com/Parad0x-Labs/Dark-Null-Protocol/releases/tag/v1.22
 [1.0.0]: https://github.com/Parad0x-Labs/Dark-Null-Protocol/releases/tag/v1.0.0
 [0.17.0]: https://github.com/Parad0x-Labs/Dark-Null-Protocol/releases/tag/v0.17.0
-

docs/SECURITY_CHECKLIST.md

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Dark Null v1.22 — Security Checklist (Public)
 
+> Historical note: this checklist tracks the older v1.22 commit/challenge/finalize design. It is not a statement that the current canonical public root already implements every item below.
+
 ## Protocol Invariants
 
 ### State Guards

docs/VERIFICATION.md

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 # Dark Null Protocol v1 - Verification Specification
 
 **Version:** 1.0 (Locked)
-**Status:** Canonical Source of Truth
+**Status:** Historical v1 verification spec, not the current canonical-root payout contract
+
+> Historical note: this document describes the stronger v1/v18-v20 verification model and proof-pack shape. The current canonical public root in [`../src/lib.rs`](../src/lib.rs) only binds the published `null_proof` artifact set and fails closed before payout because withdrawal amount and recipient semantics are not yet bound by that canonical proof bundle.
 
 This document defines the binary encoding, hashing, and validation rules for Proof Packs, ensuring interoperability between the Dark Null Client (SDK), Relayer, and On-chain Program.
 
@@ -82,6 +84,8 @@ The Relayer enforces the following **Hard Gates**:
 
 ## 4. On-Chain Verification
 
+This section is historical protocol intent, not the current canonical-root payout behavior.
+
 The on-chain program (`programs/paradox_v18/src/lib.rs`) enforces:
 
 1. **Proof Verification:** `groth16_verify(proof, public_inputs) == true`.
@@ -95,4 +99,3 @@ The on-chain program (`programs/paradox_v18/src/lib.rs`) enforces:
 **Audit Status:**
 - Encoding Rules: **VERIFIED** (Codebase matches Spec)
 - VK Match: **VERIFIED** (Script `scripts/verify_vk_match.ts` passes)
-

docs/architecture.md

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## Dark Null Protocol — Technical Architecture
 
+> Historical note: this architecture page blends older protocol/infrastructure plans with recovered artifacts. For the current canonical public root, start with [`../README.md`](../README.md), [`../MANIFEST.json`](../MANIFEST.json), and [`../src/lib.rs`](../src/lib.rs).
+
 ---
 
 ## High-Level Architecture
@@ -333,4 +335,3 @@ Example (0.1 SOL tier):
 - [API Reference](./api-reference.md) — SDK documentation
 - [Integration Guide](./integration-guide.md) — How to integrate
 
-

interfaces/accounts.md

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Dark Null v1.22 — Account Structures (Public Notes)
 
+> Historical note: `PendingCommit` and the finalize/challenge fields below describe the older v1.22 design track. The current canonical public root only uses the bounded `Vault` plus `RootAuthorityConfig`, and it fails closed before payout.
+
 ## PendingCommit
 
 Stores the state of a pending withdrawal claim during the challenge window.

scripts/check-public-repo.mjs

@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ const disallowedPatterns = [
   { label: "embedded rpc api key", regex: /helius-rpc\.com\/\?api-key=/i },
   { label: "stale auditor recruitment copy", regex: /We're seeking auditors/ },
   { label: "stale public release badge", regex: /Status-Public_Release/ },
+  { label: "stale production-ready devnet claim", regex: /production-ready release on solana devnet/i },
 ];
 
 async function assertRequiredFiles() {