This paper will look at how cybersecurity as a strategic organizational asset will contribute to the adoption of FinTech in Jordanian financial institutions in the rapidly changing atmosphere of digital transformation. Based on the Resource-Based View (RBV), the study examines the role of cybersecurity assets embodied in the detect, protect and recover processes in ensuring secure and sustainable FinTech integration. The research also assesses the modulating capacity of digital transformation in enhancing the association between cybersecurity features and the adoption of FinTech. The deductive approach was used to adopt a quantitative research design. The sample was sampled using structured questionnaires that were administered to the employees who worked in the Jordanian commercial and Islamic financial institutions. Three hundred valid responses were examined with the help of the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), to evaluate the suggested associations among the research constructs. The results indicate that cybersecurity capabilities have a positive and significant impact on the adoption of FinTech through increasing customer trust, decreasing the vulnerability of the operations, facilitating safe digital transactions and institutional preparedness to financial innovation. The findings also reveal that digital transformation has a strong moderate impact on the correlation between cybersecurity and the adoption of FinTech. Banks that have greater digital transformation practices are better placed to align cybersecurity infrastructure with modern financial technologies, thus enhancing operational efficiency, system dependability and strategic flexibility. The research is also restricted to financial organizations in Jordan, and this could have implications on the applicability of the results in other geographical and institutional contexts. The cross-sectional type of study also does not provide an opportunity to observe changes over time. Future studies can utilize longitudinal studies, cross-country samples and other cybersecurity aspects such as artificial intelligence-based security mechanisms, blockchain security and predictive cyber threat analytics The research offers valuable experience to financial institutions, policymakers and technology managers by reiterating the strategic value of cybersecurity investment as a tool in ensuring successful adoption of FinTech. The enhancement of cybersecurity infrastructure and the digital transformation efforts can enhance institutional resilience, consumer trust and competitiveness in the digital financial ecosystem. This paper adds to the emerging body of the literature on the adoption of Fintech and cybersecurity by theorizing cybersecurity as a strategic asset but not a technical defense mechanism. It builds upon the RBV perspective by showing how the cybersecurity capabilities and digital transformation mutually define the adoption of FinTech in the context of an emerging-market financial environment.

The economy of Bali heavily relies on the tourism sector, leading to economic vulnerability. There are numerous challenges in Bali's economy, with COVID-19 being one of the most prominent examples. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bali's economy experienced the deepest contraction and slowest recovery compared to other provinces in Indonesia. Amid this economic vulnerability, it is important to conduct research on the financial resilience of SMEs in Bali. This research aims to analyze the influence of financial literacy on financial resilience, as well as the mediating role of financial performance and fintech adoption on the impact of financial literacy on financial resilience among SMEs in Bali. The research method used is a quantitative approach with a sample of 177 SMEs in Bali, selected through non-probability sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with SEM-PLS in SmartPLS 3.0 program. The test results indicate that financial literacy has a positive and significant influence on financial resilience, financial performance, and fintech adoption. Financial performance and fintech adoption also have a positive and significant impact on financial resilience. Furthermore, financial performance and fintech adoption can partially mediate the influence of financial literacy on financial resilience in SMEs in Bali. The findings of this research are beneficial for the development of Knowledge-Based View theory and Technology Acceptance Model, as well as for SMEs in Bali and the government as policy makers in efforts to enhance financial resilience.

This study investigates the mediating role of competitiveness in the relationship between FinTech adoption and banking performance in the Middle Eastern region. A quantitative research design is employed, utilizing survey data from banking professionals across multiple countries. The data is analyzed using PLS-SEM modelling. The results show a positive and statistically significant impact of FinTech integration on the competitiveness of financial institutions and the performance of banks. On the other hand, the mediation of competitiveness is involved in the process of FinTech adoption and bank efficiency, suggesting that banking institutions that can utilize FinTech advantageously have greater chances of translating the benefits of FinTech adoption into better performance. This study supports the literature by providing a practical example of the use of FinTech as a factor for competitiveness and improving the performance of banks in the Middle East. These findings have huge managerial and practical implications and can help large banks gain competitive advantage and effectively integrate FinTech platforms to achieve real improvements. The value of this research is that it fills the gap in the existing literature, i.e. the role of competition as a mediating factor. By combining studies on competitive strategy approaches with those on technological innovation theory, this study combines a complete worldview related to the performance of banks in the digital age.

This systematic review synthesizes 40 peer-reviewed studies to examine the role of inclusive finance and institutional governance in FinTech adoption in Pakistan's banking sector. While user-centric behavioural models are the dominant narrative in global discourse, this review highlights the underappreciated role of institutional trust, regulatory design, and structural inclusion in the scalability of FinTech ecosystems. The paper identifies four thematic clusters using PRISMA and TCCM frameworks, namely, user-level drivers, governance enablers, financial inclusion mechanisms, and integrated adoption frameworks. Findings suggest that inclusion should be reimagined not just as an objective but also as a prerequisite to digital finance, and quality of governance directly moderates trust and adoption behaviour. The study presents an original conceptual framework that links ecosystem-level conditions and adoption dynamics, highlighting the need for multi-level theoretical approaches that incorporate behavioural, institutional, and infrastructural dimensions. Implications are drawn for policymakers, FinTech innovators, and financial regulators who are looking for inclusive, trusted, and sustainable digital finance solutions in emerging markets.