Trust and FinTech: A review and research agenda

The primary objective of this paper is to formulate a detailed research agenda focussed on trust in the context of FinTech. To achieve this objective, conceptualisations of trust and related constructs are reviewed, and a detailed model of trust is developed. The domain of FinTech is then introduced and is taken to include current and emerging innovations in financial services incorporating aspects of big data and AI, as well as open and decentralised finance and crypto assets. Typologies of FinTech services are also explored. Arguments concerning the importance of trust in financial services are then reviewed, along with prior studies of trust in the context of financial services. Nascent research into trust and FinTech is emerging, but many important questions remain, such as (a) to what degree are traditional definitions and conceptualisations of trust germane to aspects of FinTech and what adaptations or additional factors may be beneficial? (b) from both the trustor’s and trustee’s perspective, what are the relevant objects of dependence that form the focus of the trust relationship in the context of FinTech? (c) are views on the importance of trust consistent across elements of the FinTech domain including big data and AI and open, decentralised, and crypto finance? (d) how best to measure and evaluate levels of trust in FinTech? (e) what are the antecedents and consequences of trust in FinTech and other related questions? Thus, a comprehensive and nuanced exposition of trust and its impact in relation to the gamut of activities encompassed under the FinTech moniker would add significantly to collective understanding.