Visa Joins IBM’s $5B Project Lightwell Pilot to Enhance Cybersecurity
V•Visa is piloting IBM’s $5 billion Project Lightwell alongside Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase to secure open-source software using AI tools and dedicated engineers. Separately, analysts note Visa’s fee-based model continues to act as a long-term spending tollbooth despite evolving payment dynamics.
1. Participation in Project Lightwell Pilot
Visa has been selected as an early adopter of IBM’s $5 billion Project Lightwell, joining Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase in a pilot to secure open-source software. The initiative deploys more than 20,000 dedicated engineers and AI tools to identify vulnerabilities, provide tested patches and create a centralized clearinghouse for ongoing risk management.
2. Enduring Fee-Based Tollbooth Model
Industry analysts continue to characterize Visa and Mastercard as long-term tollbooths, highlighting the resilience of transaction fees that accrue regardless of payment method shifts. Despite the rise of alternative payment technologies, Visa’s network strength and volume growth underpin forecasts for sustained revenue expansion over the coming years.
