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VENTALI TAN

A collection of projects, art, and writings

REF.01

I studied physics, philosophy, and computer science at Duke University, with detours into archaeology and long hours in library basements.

Currently, I am interested in:

Designing new systems that apply zero-knowledge proof techniques and are socio-economically relevant. I envision ZKP being woven into some new institutional fabric in the future, perhaps one that includes bots as well as humans.
The role of AI in science—how it might extend, distort, or rewire our understanding of the physical world.

I co-founded Delendum and Lita, where we designed Valida, a new instruction set architecture for zero-knowledge virtual machines (arXiv). You can reach me at v@delendum.xyz.

Projects:

Valida – a custom ISA zkVM for fast, verifiable computation
Sudo – a rethink of ads and the point of purchase in the age of agents
InnerWorld (pivoted to Midreal.ai) – a generative multi-agent open world

Experiments:

Taste – an LLM-driven engine for personal recommendation
Source – a bot for scientific discovery
est – an art and science studio

Collection:

Outside of work, I collect etchings, rare books, and early forms of art. I'm slowly assembling a library that will be freely open to the public—a space devoted to physics, art, and the preservation of tools, images, and unfinished ideas.

Interests:

Physics, aesthetics, and creating worlds.

PROJECTS