In an era marked by rapid digital transformation, the role of financial innovation—particularly Financial Technology (FinTech) and digital financial inclusion (DFIN)—in shaping environmental outcomes warrants critical examination. This study investigates the impact of FinTech and DFIN on natural resource abundance, focusing especially on how these financial advancements influence countries with high levels of natural resources. Employing a hybrid methodological framework that integrates fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), pooled and panel econometric models, two-stage least squares (2SLS), and quantile regression, the research offers a multidimensional perspective on the issue. Across all methods, the findings consistently reveal a negative relationship between FinTech, DFIN, and natural resource abundance, particularly in countries with higher resource endowments. This suggests that while digital financial systems may enhance access and efficiency, they can also intensify resource exploitation in the absence of environmental safeguards. In contrast, renewable energy use emerges as a robust positive driver of resource sustainability, reinforcing its role in mitigating the ecological costs of financial modernization. This study contributes to the literature by offering empirical evidence on the environmental risks of digital finance, identifying causal configurations linked to resource depletion, and applying ecological economics theory to interpret the trade-offs between financial innovation and sustainability. The findings carry important policy implications, urging the integration of green regulations and renewable energy investments into the architecture of financial innovation to safeguard long-term resource security.
Ye Yuan (Sat,) studied this question.