Visa’s coming IPO, early next year, could surpass AT&T Wireless Group’s $10.62 billion IPO in 2000, making it the largest IPO ever in US history. During 2006 Visa handled $3.2 trillion in 44 billion transactions, making it the largest player in the industry followed by MasterCard, American Express Company and Discover Financial Services.

Since October 2006, Visa’s direct competitor MasterCard has seen its stock more than double, giving it a market value of $25 billion. Visa is expected to have a higher market value once it goes public.

The Visa story has been shared with the commercial barter industry numerous times. And the industry has been told of the extraordinary opportunity it has, given its growth and unique alternative currency. What it doesn’t have is the business model and inter-connectiveness that Visa developed.

At IRTA’s (International Reciprocal Trade Association) 25th Annual Concention in 2004 former Executive Director Paul Suplizio addressed the assembled attendees regarding the possibilities of creating a worldwide barter currency that could transform the world. See link below.* In 2005 Bernard Lietaer, former central banker of Belgium, provided s similiar message, as did noted author and monetary expert Tom Greco in 2006.

The industry has failed to embrace the message, although leaders of the largest exchanges see the significance (of the Visa model) and potential riches…and believe they are positioned to reap the riches if their ambitious plans are realized.

However the question remains... If Bank of America (given their reach & assets) realized they couldn’t do it alone and bought into Dee Hock’s visionary Visa model, (where thousands of banks maintained their independence, yet came together to create one giant enterprise for conducting billions of transactions) why shouldn’t the barter companies (the commercial barter industry) understand it?

* Suplizio’s addresses biggest challenge facing barter industry.Suplizio

This entry was posted on Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 11:05 am and is filed under Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.