That seems like the wrong question. My options were "write my own protocol" or "use openSSL" -- writing my own TLS stack was never on the table.
I get why you didn't use OpenSSL. The normal thing for someone like you to do in 2022 would be to use Noise.
Quick search shows WireGuard protocol, but I am not sure if how much of the WireGuard protocol is the same as the Noise Protocol.
https://www.wireguard.com/formal-verification/ https://www.wireguard.com/papers/wireguard-formal-verificati...
The WireGuard protocol is extensively detailed in [2], which itself is based on the NoiseIK [3] handshake.https://duo.com/labs/tech-notes/noise-protocol-framework-int...
Noise is used today in several high-profile projects:
WhatsApp uses the "Noise Pipes" construction from the specification to perform encryption of client-server communications
WireGuard, a modern VPN, uses the Noise IK pattern to establish encrypted channels between clients
Slack's Nebula project, an overlay networking tool, uses Noise
The Lightning Network uses Noise
I2P uses Noise