Instruction set architectures for compute-centric object stores. An exemplary method may include receiving a request from a user, the request identifying parameters of a compute operation that is to be executed against one or more objects in a distributed object store, generating a set of tasks from the request that comprise instructions for a daemon, locating the one or more objects within the distributed object store, the one or more objects being stored on a physical node. The method includes providing the set of tasks to a daemon, the daemon controlling execution of the compute operation by a virtual operating system container based upon the set of tasks, and storing an output of the virtual operating system container in the distributed object store.