The motivation behind these efforts was to explore the feasibility of running the historical bitcoin consensus engine independently within a secure enclave. This approach aims at minimizing the surface area exposed to potential security threats by isolating the consensus engine, allowing it only to process transactions and blocks.

The libbitcoinkernel is still relatively unknown to many, prompting the need for clearer documentation and resources for those unfamiliar with it. Recognizing the challenges associated with using libbitcoinkernel, especially for those without prior experience in embedded systems' build systems, a standalone repository has been made public. This repository includes an extraction of the libbitcoinkernel files along with a functional build system, accessible at this GitHub link. While this development has been tested across various Unix-based systems and different Instruction Set Architectures (ISAs), it generally compiles well, though comprehensive testing across all platforms remains pending.

This initiative opens up new possibilities for developers interested in creating their own full-node implementations or integrating the libbitcoinkernel as a component within other parts of the bitcoin stack. It offers a foundation that avoids the necessity of developing a compatible consensus engine from scratch, potentially with all its original bugs, thus saving time and resources. The current implementation provides a C++ API and allows for direct linking against the static library, though it acknowledges the complexity and rough edges of this approach. There's an openness to the possibility that mature full-node implementations in languages like Go or C++ might find the libbitcoinkernel ripe for experimentation or for use as a monitoring tool to ensure consistency in block validation.

Further exploration will involve integrating the standalone consensus engine with Rust code to assess its functionality and adaptability. Feedback, especially regarding bugs in the build system or issues with the C++ validation interface, is highly encouraged, with a request to report any findings to help improve the project. This ongoing project represents a step forward in the evolution of bitcoin development tools, potentially facilitating more secure and diverse implementations of bitcoin nodes.