Tarun Chitra

Founder, CEO, Gauntlet
New York City Metropolitan Area,United States
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Who Is Tarun Chitra?

Total Experience24 years
CompanyGauntlet
CountryUnited States

Tarun Chitra is a prominent figure in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, best known as the founder and CEO of Gauntlet, a leading financial modeling and simulation platform for blockchain protocols. With a Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University, he brings a deeply quantitative and research-driven approach to the crypto industry. His work focuses on improving the economic security and risk management of DeFi protocols through sophisticated agent-based simulations. Before founding Gauntlet, he worked in quantitative finance at D.E. Shaw and high-frequency trading. Tarun is a respected researcher and thought leader, frequently publishing papers and speaking on complex topics such as MEV (Maximal Extractable Value), oracle security, and protocol incentive design.

Tarun Chitra LinkedIn pageCompany Website

How Did Tarun Chitra's Career Path Shape Their Journey?

Tarun Chitra's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

Gauntlet - Founder, CEO(2018 to Present)
Robot Ventures - Partner(2020 to Present)
Vatic Labs (New York & San Francisco) - Quantitative Research and Development(2016 to 2018)
D. E. Shaw Research - Scientific Associate and Programmer(2011 to 2016)
Cornell University - Student Research (Mathematics and Physics)(2009 to 2011)
Energy Recovery Linear Accelerator Group - Student Research Summer(2010 to 2010)
AstraZeneca R&D - Clinical Development Intern, Summer 2009(2009 to 2009)

What Are Tarun Chitra's Key Achievements?

Founder and CEO of Gauntlet

Founded Gauntlet in 2018, establishing it as a critical infrastructure provider for risk management in the DeFi ecosystem. The platform is used by top protocols like Aave, Compound, and Uniswap to optimize parameters and secure billions of dollars in value.

Forbes 30 Under 30

Recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Finance in 2022 for his pioneering work in making the decentralized finance ecosystem safer and more capital-efficient through Gauntlet's simulation technology.

Influential DeFi Researcher

Authored and co-authored several influential research papers that bridge the gap between traditional finance and cryptoeconomics, providing foundational insights into protocol stability, liquid staking, and MEV.

What's Tarun Chitra's Educational Background?

B.A., Mathematics

Cornell University - Year 2007

B.S., Applied Engineering Physics

Cornell University - Year 2007

Degree Program

Charter School of Wilmington - Year 2003

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Hiring actively
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Company Overview

Gauntlet
Total employees85
HeadquartersNew York
Founded2018

Gauntlet is a financial modeling and simulation platform for blockchain protocols. It helps decentralized finance (DeFi) projects, DAOs, and crypto networks manage risk, optimize key parameters, and ensure capital efficiency. By running complex agent-based simulations, Gauntlet stress-tests protocols to make them safer and more robust for end-users.

Company Website
Gauntlet Funding Information
Unknown - Total Funding Raised
$23.8M - Most recent funding amount
4 - Number of funding rounds
Mar 8, 2022 - Latest funding round
Lead Investors:
Paradigm
Ribbit Capital
a16z crypto
Polychain Capital
Coinbase Ventures

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