# Fireside Chat with Lisa Cuesta Bunin and Kartik Talwar

- Speakers: [Kartik Talwar](https://streameth.org/speakers/kartik-talwar)
- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2025-10-09
- Duration: 20:30
- Topics: Aztec, Lisa Cuesta Bunin, fireside chat, blockchain, scalability, privacy, Layer 2, Ethereum, decentralization, ZK Money, cryptography, startup, research, engineering, Noir, zk programming language, adversarial testnet, ZK Passport, proof of humanity, Ignition launch, governance, staking, sequencer, Alpha, web3, leadership, ecosystem, DeFi, client-side proofs, programmable L2, company scaling, crypto, product development
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-GQosW8Qq5JY
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQosW8Qq5JY

## Description

In this fireside chat, Lisa Cuesta Bunin, COO of Aztec Labs, discusses her transition from investor to operator, joining Aztec to address key blockchain challenges: scalability and privacy. She shares insights on scaling a crypto startup, building a world-class technical team, and bridging gaps as the first non-technical hire. Lisa details Aztec’s evolution from a research-heavy, cryptography-focused startup to a leading developer of a decentralized, privacy-centric Layer 2 (L2) on Ethereum.

She explains the importance of decentralization, the shift from centralized products like ZK Money to a fully programmable L2, and Aztec’s approach to privacy—enabling client-side proofs and developer control over public/private data. Lisa highlights Noir, Aztec’s universal zk programming language, and previews upcoming milestones: the adversarial testnet, ZK Passport for proof of humanity, and the Ignition launch, which will deploy governance, staking, and sequencer contracts on Ethereum L1, followed by the Alpha execution environment. The conversation emphasizes leadership, adaptability, decentralization, privacy, and ecosystem growth in web3.

00:00 Introduction  
00:30 Lisa’s Background: Investing to Operating  
01:45 Entering Crypto: Early Observations  
03:07 Joining Aztec: First Non-Technical Hire  
04:54 Scaling Aztec: Early Challenges & Growth  
07:32 Building Company Processes & Unique Problems  
09:12 Aztec’s Evolution: Research to Product  
11:41 Balancing Research & Engineering  
13:38 Decentralization at Aztec  
16:11 Aztec’s Approach to Privacy  
18:19 Developer Experience & Noir Language  
19:20 What’s Next: Testnet, ZK Passport, Ignition Launch  
20:10 Closing Remarks

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🇺🇸 *Pragma New York*
Pragma New York 2025 was held on August 14th at Vesper Events in Brooklyn, New York and was an in-person summit for builders and leaders in the web3 ecosystem. Watch the full Pragma New York YouTube Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzKMXK2aHh5TRLdUXjnhUVfdbBtu6z2j

ETHGlobal's Pragma series takes place in cities around the world, and is designed to be a different kind of event. Pragma is a one-stage conference with founders-only on stage, bringing together a small group of curated attendees and speakers to discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. 

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✅ Follow Lisa Cuesta Bunin
X: https://x.com/lisacuesta

✅ Follow Aztec 
X: https://x.com/aztecnetwork

✅ Follow Kartik Talwar
X: https://x.com/TheRealKartik

✅ Follow ETHGlobal
X: https://x.com/ETHGlobal​
Warpcast: https://warpcast.com/ethglobal
Website: https://ethglobal.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCfF9ZO8Ug4xk_AJd4aeT5HA 

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