ABSTRACT
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the financial system, and it now becomes a new challenge to Islamic banking. This pandemic demands the use of a distinct set of financial services, strategies, and technologies among which is the Islamic Fintech. The main objective of this study is to explore the use of Islamic Fintech in the Islamic banking sector and its impact on the stakeholders in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. This study shows that Islamic Fintech has performed a critical role in assisting Islamic banks and other Islamic financial institutions to continue operating effectively during this difficult time. Although the impact of the pandemic has been very harsh on the users of Fintech, the financial institutions have benefited due to the wider acceptance rate of the Fintech-based financial services. The study also shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has been impacted, including governments, customers, Fintech developers, Fintech startups, and Islamic financial institutions. However, Islamic Fintech has emerged as a critical tool for mitigating the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and society during and after this difficult time. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This paper aims to explore the role of digital financial inclusion (DFI) in stabilizing the Islamic banking sector amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: This study has used the Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE), Two-Stage Panel Least Squares-Instrumental Variables (2SLS-IV) and Two-Step System Generalized Method of Moments (2SGMM) dynamic panel estimation method to investigate the DFI-Islamic banking stability nexus using an unbalanced panel data of 65 Islamic banks from six countries over the period 2011–2020. Findings: The result suggests that greater implementation of DFI promotes Islamic banking stability, which reduces the default risk of the banks in the studied region. Consequently, incorporating DFI into the Islamic banking sector encourages inclusive economic growth that can keep the financial sector sustainable even in a crisis period like the current COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value: Unlike previous studies, the authors have focused mainly on DFI and the Islamic banking sector. This is one of the first to explore how DFI contribute to the stability and productivity of the Islamic banking sector during the pandemic. Also, this study provides fresh evidence on how the supply and demand side of DFI impact Islamic banking stability. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.