FAQ
Straight answers about Mentat.
zkTLS vs oracles, keeping AI-generated markets safe, mainnet status, self-hosting, and the open-source model — the questions people actually ask.
What does "AI-drafted, human-curated, zkTLS-settled" actually mean? +
A creator types a one-line idea. The Scout → Draft → Validator pipeline emits a full structured market spec. A human curator approves or edits in the console. On approval, the spec deploys to a Solana MarketFactory program. When the resolution event occurs, a zkTLS proof of the data source is verified by the MarketSettlement program. Three layers, three protections.
Why zkTLS instead of an oracle network like Chainlink or UMA? +
Oracle networks introduce a separate trust layer and incentive game. zkTLS proves a TLS session actually happened against a specific domain at a specific time — the proof is the data, not a vote about the data. For mechanical resolution (price thresholds, API responses, official feeds) zkTLS is faster, cheaper, and removes a class of disputes entirely.
How do you stop AI from generating ambiguous or harmful markets? +
Three checkpoints. The Validator agent checks every draft against a rubric (clarity, verifiability, policy). A category filter blocks self-harm, violence, hate, and illegal-activity templates pre- and post-generation. And every market still passes through a human curator before any on-chain deploy.
Is Mentat live on Solana mainnet? +
Not yet. M2 (Creator MVP — AI agents, FastAPI backend, Vue Creator Studio, Curator Console) is complete. M3 (Solana programs + indexer + wallet integration + trading UI) is in active development. M4 ships the zkTLS proof service. M5 is the audited mainnet launch.
Can I self-host the whole stack? +
Yes. The repo is MIT. Run the FastAPI backend against your own Postgres, the DSPy agents against your own OpenAI or Anthropic key, and the Solana programs on devnet, testnet, or your own validator. The proof service is bring-your-own-zkTLS-verifier as well.
What does "open source forever" mean for the commercial roadmap? +
The protocol — schema, programs, agents, indexer, proof verifier — stays MIT in perpetuity. Cryptuon offers paid engagements on top: custom proof sources, category-specific prompt tuning, managed curator pipelines, white-label deployments. Code stays free; specialized work costs money.
Which AI models does the agent pipeline use? +
The DSPy programs are model-agnostic by design. Default backends are OpenAI GPT-4-class and Anthropic Claude. Operators can plug in any DSPy-supported provider, including local models behind a vLLM endpoint, by changing one environment variable.
How are disputes handled if a zkTLS proof is wrong? +
A dispute window opens after on-chain settlement. Challengers post a bond and submit either a counter-proof or evidence the trigger condition was misinterpreted. Disputed markets flag in the indexer and fall through to a governance review. The base case — clean proof, clean trigger — resolves without ceremony.
Still have a question? Contact the team, or dig into how it works and the glossary.
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Every claim on this site is verifiable against the MIT-licensed monorepo.