diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 33c5751..ce849ad 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ tools/zig-out/
/.claude/
/CLAUDE.md
/.github/copilot-instructions.md
-/docs/
+# Ignore each entry under docs/ (not the dir itself, so the negation below works):
+/docs/*
+# ...but publish the curated, reader-facing guides (docs/ai-context stays ignored):
+!/docs/guides/
# ── COMPOSER ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a8cbd29..bcc9f7e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,32 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
## [Unreleased]
+## [1.0.21] - 2026-07-22
+
+### Changed
+- **Rebranded to HKM Kernel.** The CLI banner (`hkm version`) now renders the HKM
+ block-letter art and reads "HKM Kernel · Gated Demand Architecture"; the debug/error
+ page and CLI exception header are branded **HKM** (was "Sentinel"); the global-kernel
+ autoload error prefix is now `[HKM]`.
+- **README rewritten as a guided document** — leads with Purpose, project goals, and an
+ honest "done vs. cooking" status map, followed by install and usage. Adds the HKM hero
+ banner and points at the new public guides.
+
+### Added
+- **Public architecture guides under `docs/guides/`** — a curated, reader-facing set of
+ layer-by-layer guides (kernel, modules, plugins, security, data access, and more), with
+ an index. The internal AI-context source stays private.
+
+### Fixed
+- **Security-layer docs corrected to match the code.** The guides no longer describe a
+ kernel `FirewallLayer` / `RateLimiterLayer` (which do not exist) — the kernel ships only
+ `CsrfTokenLayer`; authentication comes from the Auth plugin (`JwtAuthLayer` /
+ `PersonalAccessTokenLayer`), and rate-limiting / IP-filtering are SecurityFilters route
+ filters (`throttle` / `shield`).
+
+### Merged
+- Integrates edge features, CLI commands, and security updates from #36.
+
## [1.0.20] - 2026-07-22
### Added
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3883d6d..43ebd8c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
+