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Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities

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Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the transformative impact of innovative financial instruments and the strategic integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the FinTech sector. The focus will be on how these technologies are reshaping banking and payment systems and contributing to the development of a sustainable economy. We welcome research that addresses both the challenges and opportunities presented by these advancements. Key areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Business innovation, collaborative economy, circular economy, and sustainable development.
Development and application of innovative financial instruments, including blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and decentralized finance (DeFi).
The role of AI in enhancing FinTech solutions such as risk management, fraud detection, and customer personalization.
Contributions of FinTech and AI to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives and sustainable economic practices.
Innovative financial applications, open banking, InsurTech, and FinTech.
The social and ethical implications of digitization.
Regulatory and compliance challenges associated with the integration of AI and innovative financial tools.
The impact of FinTech innovations on financial inclusion and access to financial services in underserved regions.
The metaverse, machine learning, continuous learning, and digital platforms.
Case studies illustrating successful implementations of these technologies in various sectors.
European and global agreements and partnerships and their impact on sustainability.
Sustainability in global strategic economic fields with a local impact.
Artificial intelligence and sustainable development.
Human resources and jobs of the future presented by these advancements.

Dr. Otilia Manta
Prof. Dr. Valentina Vasile
Prof. Dr. Shigeyuki Hamori
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. FinTech is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

fintech innovation
banks
financial inclusion
green finance
regulatory challenges
strategic approaches
artificial intelligence in finance
sustainable finance
blockchain and cryptocurrencies
decentralized finance (DeFi)
regulatory compliance
risk management
ESG and sustainable economy
digital banking and payments
sustainable development
human resources and AI
innovative financial instruments

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Research

30 pages, 3916 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Empowering Global Supply Chains Through Blockchain-Based Platforms: New Evidence from the Coffee Industry

by Tommaso Agnola, Luca Ambrosini, Edoardo Beretta and Giuliano Gremlich

FinTech 2025, 4(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/fintech4010003 - 10 Jan 2025

Viewed by 644

Abstract

Global supply chains, especially in commodity trading, are plagued by fragmentation, lack of transparency, and trust deficits among participants. These issues lead to inefficiencies, increased costs, and an over-reliance on intermediaries. The present Communication describes a blockchain-based platform that leverages Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs) to address these challenges in supply chain management. Developed in collaboration with coffee industry stakeholders, our approach proposes a platform with an integrated marketplace for seller discovery, enables precise order definition with detailed terms and conditions, and actively guides both buyers and sellers throughout the shipping process, managing financial guarantees and ensuring a secure transaction flow. The platform is compatible with both traditional banking infrastructure and modern crypto-based systems, enabling seamless financial transactions. In cases where disputes arise, we empower users to easily collect all communications and documents to present to legal authorities, expediting the resolution process. The platform is implemented using the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) for secure, on-chain storage and application hosting, and is integrated with the Ethereum blockchain to leverage its extensive decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, significant liquidity, and robust stablecoin infrastructure, thereby facilitating secure financial transactions. Moreover, we introduce an SSI-based authentication and authorization framework that spans across the entire platform, including both the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), enabling unified role-based access control through verifiable credentials. A value-added of the present Communication, the framework is demonstrated by means of a detailed case study in the coffee industry, highlighting the technical challenges addressed during implementation. While quantitative efficiency metrics will be established through upcoming real-world testing with industry partners, the platform’s design aims to streamline operations by reducing intermediary dependencies and automating key processes. Finally, the Communication provides insights into its adaptability to other industries facing comparable supply chain challenges, presenting an approach focused on enhancing trust and reducing reliance on intermediaries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities)

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