Tarun Chitra is the co-founder and CEO of Gauntlet, a leading simulation platform for crypto networks, and a co-founder of Robot Ventures alongside Robert Leshner.^[5] In 2023, Tarun Chitra founded Aera, a decentralized protocol designed to help decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) manage their finances. He is also a quantitative researcher and engineer who has worked at the intersection of low-latency and high-performance computing and machine learning.^[5]

Education

Tarun Chitra holds a B.A. and B.S. from Cornell University, where he studied mathematics and physics. During his time at Cornell, he participated in significant research and development projects, particularly in mathematical modeling and high-energy physics.^[1][2]

Career

Chitra's career began at D. E. Shaw Research (DESRES), where he worked as a scientific programmer. His interest in blockchain technology was piqued in 2011 when he observed Bitcoin ASIC mining rigs significantly delaying DESRES's ASIC production. This experience led him to delve deeper into cryptocurrencies and blockchain.^[3][4]

After DESRES, Chitra worked at Vatic Labs, a high-frequency trading firm, using his skills in quantitative research and high-performance computing.^[3][4]

Research and Contributions

Tarun Chitra has authored over 24 peer-reviewed papers. His research covers a range of topics, including the economic security properties of blockchain networks and the optimization of fee markets in decentralized systems.^[4]

Gauntlet

In 2018, Chitra co-founded Gauntlet, a simulation platform designed to help developers and stakeholders in crypto networks understand the impact of various decisions related to security, governance, and consensus mechanisms. Gauntlet leverages simulation-based research to optimize these networks, aiming to make them more efficient and secure.^[3][4]

In March 2022, Gauntlet raised a round of funding that pushed its valuation to $1 billion. The $23.8 million Series B round was led by Ribbit Capital, and existing investors including Polychain Capital and Paradigm also participated.^[6]

Robot Ventures

In addition to his work with Gauntlet, Chitra is also a co-founder at Robot Ventures, where he invests in early-stage blockchain and DeFi startups.^[5] obot Ventures was first announced in April 2019 and later secured $4 million in funding, led by Galaxy Digital with additional participation by Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam's Paradigm.^[10]

Aera

In 2023, Tarun Chitra founded Aera, a decentralized protocol designed to help decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) manage their finances. The startup secured $8 million in funding led by Bain Capital Crypto, with participation from Jump Crypto.^[7][8] Chitra stated that Aera's goal is to enable DAOs to quickly respond to market changes while not sacrificing decentralization principles, providing them with crowdsourced investment portfolio management advice.^[9]