FinTech in the Philippines has been gaining more attention in recent years, especially during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when lockdowns are prevalent and cashless payment methods are encouraged to limit exposure to health risks from face-to-face and cash-based transactions. Digital...

Inclusive finance is a core concept of finance that makes various financial products and services accessible and affordable to all individuals and businesses, especially those excluded from the formal financial system. One of the leading forces affecting people's ability to access financial...

While other countries have implemented mobile money very early with promising results, Vietnam, a bank-based country, only started the pilot implementation in November 2021. By the end of the pilot period, the percentage of people with mobile money accounts still needs to reach expectations. In...

Financial technology is a powerful tool in financial infrastructure, used to strengthen and smooth the delivery of financial services into the broader space. Financial technology involves software, applications, and other technologies designed to improve and automate traditional forms of...

Using a unique FinTech data containing monthly individual-level consumption, investments, and payments, we examine how FinTech can lower investment barriers and improve risk-taking. Seizing on the rapid expansion of offline usages of Alipay in China, we measure individuals' FinTech adoption by...

Digital technology applied to banking and financial transactions or e-finance in general has made financial services more widely available and affordable to consumers. And with appropriate and affordable technologies and applications, the financially excluded and the unserved can participate in...

We document the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital finance and fintech adoption and usage. Drawing on mobile application data from 71 countries, we estimate that the spread of COVID-19 and related government lockdowns led to between a 33.1 and 36.6 percent increase in the relative rate...

The COVID-19 crisis created conditions for digital finance to accelerate financial inclusion in the Philippines. Anecdotal and survey data suggest that the pandemic has indeed spurred large gains in financial inclusion in the country, with adoption of digital finance as a strong driver. This...

In a world where financial capital serves as the backbone of individual and societal economic health, understanding the mechanisms that can stimulate or hinder its accumulation is critical. This study explores how the accessibility of banking services and the integration of digital finance can...