How can PHP be protected without slowing it down?

Question

PHP

Greetings!
After problems with hacking, we thought about copy protection. It is clear that you cannot get 100% protection, but at least you want to win time.
The question is, is it possible to do obfuscation without slowing down the code? After checking the test script through ioncube, the difference in speed showed a deterioration of 6 times !
Here is the test script:

<?php
$start = microtime(true);

for ($i = 0; $i < 1000000; $i++) {

}

echo microtime(true) - $start;

Because ioncube encrypts the code, and the main task is to make it difficult to study and not load the server, options for simple obfuscation were looked at, but the search did not give any special results, but if there are options, this will also be useful.

Answer 1

Nobody needs your code.

Answer 2

Ioncube is a measure to protect the source code from copying / modifying / bypassing licenses, and not a means of improving the security of the site.
You are using the wrong means, and you are pursuing the wrong goals. Hiding code from someone who has already found a hole in you, and can get it, is a belated, and already rather useless measure ...