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The aim of this paper is to propose a basis upon which accounting reporting can be developed to reflect real values and the real economy. It aims to address the environmental considerations discussed in the UN debate (Bebbington and Unerman, 2020) and the concern for a “better life-world”, which is the theme of this special issue.

Addressing the task involves the application of the philosophy of pragmatic constructivism (which explains how people can relate to their reality in ways that lead to successful action) and the philosophical concept of the “good life” (which establishes the values to be pursued through action and so defines action success). Also, it outlines the necessary characteristics of measurement frameworks if they are to be effective in the development and control of human practices to achieve desired values.

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for guiding the measurement of how a sustainable good life has improved and/or deteriorated as a result of organisational activities. It outlines a system of concepts on basic and instrumental values for analysing the condition of maintaining a sustainable good life in real terms. This is related to the financial results and societal regulations to analyse and adjust controls according to the real economic goals. Also, it provides a system of value measurands to produce valid information about the development of a sustainable good life. The measurand makes accounting reporting reflect the conditions of the good life that constitute the real economy instead of merely the financial economy driven by shareholder capitalism. Providing tools to analyse whether the existing practices of business and social regulations promote or counteract the real economic goals of producing a sustainable good life means the measurement system proposed makes the invisible hand of the market visible.

The mechanism proposed to enable accounting reporting to reflect real values and the real economy is a new conceptual framework that will allow accounting to more fully realise its potential to contribute to a “better world”. In aiming to serve a sustainable good life, accounting reporting will inherently foster ethical social practices.

This chapter explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly its subfield of machine learning (ML) methods, as a core technology of the fintech revolution in the financial services industry. It simplifies some of the complex concepts related to AI by introducing the main ML paradigms and related techno-methodic aspects. This chapter uses real-world examples to illustrate how next-generation AI powered by ML is transforming the financial services industry. Next, in illustrating the risks associated with AI adoption, this chapter discusses the need for regulation to address the essential facets of AI governance, including transparency, accountability, ethics, and responsible use. Lastly, it looks at emerging regulatory approaches across leading global jurisdictions. The primary goal is to give readers an initial understanding of AI's profound impact on the financial sector.

In this article, the research objective is to empirically investigate the effect of the adoption of the Brazilian instant payment system, Pix, on the local credit market structure and the diversification of the banking system in Brazilian municipalities.

By analyzing the data, in this study, we compile and align data from supervisory and public sources, covering the period from 2019 to 2022 in Brazil. As of 2014, Brazil was comprised of 5568 municipalities distributed across five regions: North (450 municipalities), Northeast (1792), Midwest (467), Southeast (1668) and South (1191), according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Our analysis relies on the volume and quantity of Pix to the outstanding credit operations in Brazil.

This article provides evidence that the widespread adoption of Pix has impacted the financial structure of municipalities. This analysis of banking concentration in the country and municipalities, based on banking relationships, helped us assess whether the adoption of Pix had any correlation with the increase in credit lines. Overall, the results from the statistical tables suggest that the adoption of Pix may be having a positive impact on the local credit market structure.

The originality contribution of the study is to initiate an investigation into the impact of this instant payment system, Pix, on the Brazilian reality. Pix was launched in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and had significant numbers, such as over 61% of the adult population having at least one Pix key registered in a little over a year; about 100 million people made at least one payment with Pix; and more than 1.4 billion transactions per month, with 72% between individuals, as presented by the REB 2021.

This chapter examines the world of risk management within fintech. It initiates by emphasizing the crucial role of technology and risk assessment in shaping the fintech landscape. It discusses various risk categories prevalent in fintech operations, elucidating the nuances of technology, operational, compliance, strategic, and reputational risks. A comparative analysis across different fintech sub-sectors unveils their distinct risk profiles. The narrative extends to proactive risk management frameworks, contrasting prominent models like the COSO ERM, FAIR Risk Quantification, and NIST Cybersecurity Frameworks. Integral defense measures are scrutinized, encompassing data encryption, access controls, vulnerability assessments, and incident response plans. This chapter underscores the significance of building operational resilience through robust technology infrastructure, regular system updates, disaster recovery planning, and business continuity measures. Ultimately, this chapter culminates in a comprehensive summary, offering pragmatic recommendations to fortify technology risk management in fintech.

This chapter reviews possible regulatory updates needed to address the four general challenges arising from digitalization of financial services, regardless of the business models of the financial services providers. These challenges are customers' data rights, artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, cybersecurity and financial exclusion.

This chapter first reviews the central banks' two key remits, monetary stability and financial stability, and examines how they will be affected either directly or indirectly by the emerging challenges relating to walled gardens, shadow banking, singleness of the money, customers' data rights, artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, cybersecurity and financial exclusion. This chapter will then review three possible areas of responses that the central banks might take to address the emerging challenges: (1) regulations, (2) promotion of open digital infrastructures and (3) central banks' capabilities upgrade. This chapter will then review possible tools that the central banks might use to implement actions in those three key areas.

Financial technologies or FinTech have replaced traditional financial services. Large investments have been made in FinTechs but there is a gap between service providers and consumers. Due to the high diversity and speed of changes, people still do not understand the new financial system and resist it. The success of the transition requires providing an opportunity for citizens' participation which is expressed with the term, financial citizenship. This study aims to focus on the citizenship dimension of FinTech transition and wants to analyze the influence of citizens in transition with a focus on financial technologies.

This study analyzed financial citizenship in FinTech transition by using a qualitative research method and grounded theory. The data were collected through open interviews with 26 FinTech players in Iran. Then the three-step process of open, axial and selective coding was performed and the main categories and relationships between them were identified.

Surveys have shown that educating and informing citizens provides the conditions for engagement and the formation of financial citizenship. Depending on citizens' level of awareness, they can play a role in the FinTech transition as customers, feedback providers or demanders. Of course, the disruption level of financial technological innovation affects the level of citizens' engagement. Finally, the conceptual model of financial citizenship provided and the effect of citizen participation on the FinTech transition has been analyzed.

This study is based on the belief that it is the citizens’ right to have a role in matters that directly affect their well-being. This role is not only the role of the customer and the user but goes beyond and becomes a role where citizens as players would be able to influence the technological transition like other interested players (policymakers and service providers). This research integrates the transition literature and financial citizenship; and analyzes the FinTech transition according to the position of citizens against FinTech developments.

This chapter examines three common fintech use cases transforming the financial industry. First, the chapter introduces fintech's role in enhancing financial services and promoting financial inclusion, especially through digital platforms. Second, it investigates various fintech applications that support financial institution management by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Finally, the chapter explores fintech use cases related to the regulatory environment, including regulatory technology (regtech), blockchain technology, and cryptocurrencies. The insights presented in this chapter cater to researchers and practitioners keen on better understanding fintech's diverse applications in the ever-evolving financial industry landscape.