Fintech and Blockchain are disruptive innovations transforming the foundations of traditional financial markets, the economy and society. These modern technologies have the potential to significantly change & create new business models as well as to become the base layer for the digital economy. As the financial sectors across the globe are moving from the observation phase to the implementation phase of Fintech and Blockchain technology, financial institutions and experts need to understand how FinTech and Blockchain technology can contribute to the economy before they can fully unlock their potential.
In addition, the emergence and development of technology-enabled innovation in financial services have created substantial opportunities for financial inclusion and propagated increased risks to financial stability. The Blockchain technology has reshaped and brought many unprecedented applications to various industries to make the transition to the digital economy. Although Blockchain is synonymous with a well-known application in digital currency such as Bitcoin, we have observed its use extended into many areas including finance, healthcare, education, retail, entertainment, insurance, and transport industries. If employed correctly, blockchain technology can improve regular financial processes, and create a fintech ecosystem that revolutionises financial systems completely. The rise of these new technologies also leads to several environmental concerns around the globe and the question of whether these technologies can help nations achieve UN SDGs and contribute to sustainable development remains unanswered. As the literature on these issues remains thin, there is a need for a platform to gather academics, PhD students, practitioners, regulators, and those interested, and share their research findings to collectively contribute to the growing literature in these emerging fields.
This special issue aims to provide a dynamic and cutting-edge platform for participants to present both theoretical and empirical research, as well as current innovative applications of Fintech and Blockchain in practice. We seek submissions of papers that investigate new applications of Fintech and Blockchain, introduce innovative and novel methodologies in the study of digital transformation in business, finance, economics, accounting, law, and other relevant fields to extend our underlying understanding of the theoretical lenses, with proposals of new avenues of research in these fields.
