Trust, not technology, is driving the future of fintech adoption

This normalization of mobile finance has important implications. Users are not experimenting with FinTech platforms on the margins but relying on them for core financial tasks such as bill payments, transfers, balance checks, and spending management. As a result, expectations are high. Reliability, speed, and ease of use are treated as basic requirements rather than differentiators.

Mobile banking and digital wallets have moved from optional tools to everyday financial infrastructure, reshaping how consumers interact with money. Across Europe, cashless payments, app-based banking, and algorithm-driven financial services are becoming the default rather than the exception. For policymakers, banks, and FinTech firms alike, understanding what drives sustained adoption has become a strategic priority.

A new peer-reviewed study published in the International Journal of Financial Studies offers a detailed look into these dynamics through the lens of Romanian FinTech users. Titled “The Role of Artificial Intelligence, Data Security, and Blockchain in Building Trust in FinTech Services,” the research examines how users perceive advanced digital technologies and what ultimately determines their willingness to engage with mobile banking and digital wallet platforms. Based on survey data from active users, the study challenges common assumptions about hype-driven adoption and places trust and security at the center of digital finance.

Mobile-first finance reshapes everyday banking behavior

The study finds that FinTech adoption in Romania is overwhelmingly mobile-first, reflecting a broader global shift in consumer finance. Smartphones are the primary gateway to financial services, with mobile banking applications dominating daily use. Digital wallets, peer-to-peer transfers, and app-based account management are no longer perceived as innovative features but as standard tools integrated into routine financial behavior.

This normalization of mobile finance has important implications. Users are not experimenting with FinTech platforms on the margins but relying on them for core financial tasks such as bill payments, transfers, balance checks, and spending management. As a result, expectations are high. Reliability, speed, and ease of use are treated as basic requirements rather than differentiators.

The research shows that demographic factors such as age and income influence usage frequency, with younger and higher-income users engaging more intensively. However, mobile banking adoption itself is widespread across user groups, suggesting that access barriers are narrowing. Urban and rural users display similar engagement patterns, pointing to a maturing digital ecosystem where geographic location is no longer a primary constraint.

Crucially, the study highlights that convenience alone does not explain sustained use. While intuitive design and fast transactions matter, they are insufficient to build long-term engagement without a strong foundation of trust. Users expect mobile finance to be seamless, but they also expect it to be safe by default.

Data security emerges as the non-negotiable foundation of trust

Among all factors examined, data security stands out as the most decisive driver of FinTech trust. The study shows that users view the protection of personal and financial data as a baseline condition for adoption. Rather than enhancing trust when present, security failures rapidly erode confidence and prompt disengagement.

This finding reframes how security functions in digital finance. It is not a competitive advantage but a prerequisite. Users assume that platforms will safeguard their information and react strongly when that assumption is challenged. In this context, trust is fragile and asymmetrical, built slowly but lost quickly.

The research reveals that users are less influenced by marketing messages or peer recommendations when evaluating security. Instead, trust is shaped by perceptions of system robustness, regulatory compliance, and institutional reliability. This suggests that FinTech users engage in cognitive trust assessment rather than social trust transfer, relying on their own judgment rather than external endorsements.

The emphasis on security also extends to system simplicity. Users are more likely to trust platforms that combine strong safeguards with clear, intuitive interfaces. Complexity is interpreted as risk rather than sophistication. When systems appear difficult to understand or operate, users become more skeptical, regardless of the underlying technology.

These findings carry implications for FinTech design and regulation. Security measures that complicate user experience may undermine trust, while transparent and well-integrated protections reinforce it. The study underscores the need for security-by-design approaches that do not shift cognitive burden onto users.

Conditional acceptance of AI and growing confidence in blockchain

Artificial intelligence plays an increasingly visible role in digital finance, powering personalization, fraud detection, and automated decision-making. The study finds that Romanian FinTech users generally view AI positively, particularly when it enhances convenience and efficiency. AI-driven features that simplify financial management or tailor services to individual needs are widely accepted.

However, this acceptance is conditional. Users do not grant blanket trust to AI systems. Instead, trust depends on transparency and explainability. When users understand, at least at a high level, how AI supports financial decisions, confidence increases. When algorithms operate as opaque black boxes, skepticism grows.

Importantly, the study shows that trust in AI is not strongly shaped by demographic differences. Optimism about AI is broadly distributed across age, income, and location, suggesting that attitudes toward AI in finance are becoming normalized rather than niche. This contrasts with earlier stages of digital adoption, where advanced technologies often faced generational resistance.

Blockchain technology is also examined as a trust-building mechanism within FinTech systems. The findings reveal that trust in blockchain is not significantly influenced by whether users live in urban or rural areas, indicating a convergence in digital literacy and exposure. Instead, blockchain trust correlates with a general openness to advanced technologies and a positive attitude toward digital innovation.

Users who express confidence in AI are more likely to trust blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Conversely, those who perceive FinTech systems as overly complex tend to be more skeptical of blockchain. This suggests that trust is shaped less by technical understanding and more by perceived usability and coherence within the digital ecosystem.

The study challenges the assumption that blockchain adoption depends primarily on education or technical awareness. Instead, trust appears to emerge from a broader alignment between system design, perceived benefits, and user expectations of security and control.

Trust, not novelty, drives sustainable FinTech adoption

One of the study’s most significant conclusions is that technological novelty does not drive sustained FinTech engagement. While AI and blockchain attract attention, they do not substitute for trust. Users are willing to adopt advanced systems only when these technologies are embedded within secure, transparent, and user-friendly platforms.

Promotional strategies and social influence play a limited role in shaping long-term behavior. Instead, trust is built through consistent performance, clear communication, and the absence of negative experiences. This finding challenges growth strategies that rely heavily on incentives, referrals, or feature proliferation without addressing underlying trust concerns.

The research introduces the concept of secure convenience as the core value proposition of modern FinTech. Users want fast, intuitive services that reduce friction, but they demand these benefits without compromising data protection or transparency. Any trade-off between convenience and security is likely to undermine adoption rather than accelerate it.

For FinTech firms, this creates a strategic imperative. Investments in AI-driven personalization or blockchain-based infrastructure must be matched by equally strong investments in data governance, explainability, and regulatory alignment. Failure to do so risks alienating users who may be technologically open but trust-sensitive.

From a policy perspective, the findings highlight the importance of clear regulatory frameworks that reinforce user confidence. Trust in digital finance is not built solely at the platform level but also through perceptions of oversight, accountability, and legal protection. As FinTech becomes embedded in everyday financial life, these institutional signals become increasingly important.