Evolution, acceptance, and adaptation of Fintech: A road map towards sustainable development

Abstract

 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be considered the paramount objective for all nations in the world. In keeping with this, a sound global financial system is now required to fulfill its mandate to encourage the mobilization of private capital for the achievement of sustainable development and consistent economic growth. Blockchain, the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence are just a few of the recent technological advancements that have been made possible by digital transformation and advancement, specifically in the finance sector. Traditional banks, regulators, and policymakers are all paying close attention to the buzz surrounding Fintech. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the integration and innovation of emerging technologies and finance have accelerated financial technology development (FinTech). In this paper, we reviewed the literature on the evolution of Fintech in terms of regulations and policies, as well as the role of Fintech in achieving financial inclusion and sustainable development goals. We reviewed the fintech ecosystem and segregated it into three segments, from 2010-2015, 2016-2020, and 2021 to present. We have discussed the existing literature from the mentioned timeline and concluded that despite being surrounded by numerous challenges, the acceptance of Fintech has boomed over the period of time and created some new avenues for the future that support future sustainable international trade while also facilitating the SDGs.