The question of how retail banks adapt to a changing market place that is driven by disruptive Fintech firms is increasingly becoming important. This is especially critical in East Africa where banks have traditionally had limited presence. This paper examines the impact of digital technologies...

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...