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This study aims to analyse the existing literature on the utilisation of financial technology (FinTech) in the Islamic social finance (ISF) sector, focusing on tools, applications and benefits. From this study, it is to provide insights for literature or for practitioners on how FinTech can be used in ISF, such as using blockchain (tools) in waqf (application) that can help to enhance transparency and trust (benefits) with donors. It is important to explore new available tools or applications in ISF markets so that such effort can benefit the industry in promoting its growth.

A systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out using Reporting Standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES) which has been based on quality evaluation criteria, beginning with 41,945 entries in Scopus, 25,386 entries in the Web of Science and 1,590 entries in the Google Scholar databases and ending with 35 articles from data abstraction and analysis, all of which focus on tools, applications and benefits of FinTech in ISF sector.

This review yielded three primary themes and eleven sub-themes addressing FinTech, namely applications (four sub-themes: crowdfunding, blockchain, banking service and peer-to-peer (P2P), tools (three sub-themes: waqf, zakat and sadaqah), as well as benefits (four sub-themes: transparency, innovation, inclusiveness and efficiency).

This study emphasises on innovative application of FinTech used in ISF industry which focuses on applications, tools and benefits of FinTech to the industry. However, the findings indicate that there is plenty of room for future investigation. The current work outlines several methodological issues and concerns as well as provides recommendations for future research. Various challenges associated with FinTech applications include inadequate regulations, complex permit application procedures, misuse of FinTech for terrorist financing, the existence of fraudulent FinTech companies and consumer disputes in the FinTech sector concerning ISF. There are few in-depth studies on the possible use of FinTech models in ISF, compared to studies focusing on upcoming challenges. This study also highlights the methodological limitations in previous research efforts, which can be used to improve future studies in this area. To offer a more comprehensive analysis, additional search keywords and engines that have not been included in this study could be used in future investigations with different methodologies.

For practitioners, the paper has significant managerial consequences. The analysis provides insights into real-life opportunities, limits and solutions for improving performance management by looking at FinTech applications from a larger and more diverse perspective. The practitioners, especially the State Islamic Religious Council, can recognise the benefits of using FinTech technology in ISF (waqf, zakat and sadaqah), namely under their jurisdiction.

This systematic literature assessment identifies critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed such as the applications of FinTech that are still ambiguous, with certain applications not completely embraced in the ISF industry. This study uses SLR technique to categorise literature, identify gaps in current studies and provide recommendations for the research issue (Paul and Criado, 2020), instead of using the other previous methodology such as content analysis or qualitative review. Hence, FinTech is considered an innovative or new approach in ISF industry.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the continuous intention to use blockchain and FinTech innovations, focusing on the direct impact of user trust and perceived risks. It seeks to test how information technology (IT) quality directly affects user-perceived risk and trust and to identify how IT quality can influence FinTech continuance intentions. By examining these relationships, the study provides insights into how improvements in IT quality can mitigate perceived risks and enhance user trust, ultimately fostering sustained use of FinTech and blockchain technologies.

To achieve the purpose of this study, the model and hypotheses were examined based on the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Results revealed that perceived risk is negatively impacted by system quality, while trust is positively impacted by information quality, and the most significant result in the study is continuous-use intention and uncertainty both are impacted by service quality. Also, the study used some control variables, and two of them (i.e. FinTech type and education) showed a positive significant relationship with continuance-use intention.

This study identifies several causal relationships between the continuance-use intention of blockchain and FinTech innovations and various factors, which can provide valuable insights for managers, enabling them to formulate appropriate strategies to foster sustainable growth in FinTech and blockchain. By leveraging these findings, managers can enhance IT quality, reduce perceived risks and build user trust, thereby promoting the ongoing adoption and success of blockchain and FinTech innovations.

The outcomes obtained will help both FinTech providers and researchers elucidate and understand the situation of users’ concerns about the unexpected risks/uncertainty in FinTech transactions can be mitigated through providing a high level of quality IT service and systems. Two main strategies can be merged to be used by FinTech providers/managers, first: trust building, second: risk-mitigating, both strategies can be used in the light of IT innovation and its aspects to meet the sustainable growth of FinTech.