Islamic Banking - Towards a Blockchain Monitoring Process

Abstract

The authors’ first challenge is to decipher the complexity of Islamic banking despite the enigmatic aspects of the sector. A second focal point is the agent’s agenda; in the Islamic banking industry, contributors mandate intermediaries (agents) to transfer their contributions to socio-economic causes according to the Shariah; in principle, Islamic financial institutions must create value for their stakeholders by offering Shariah-compliant products and services. An underlying assumption of the agency theory is that agents attempt to maximize their personal welfare and compensation, but such behaviour may not always be in the best interests of other stakeholders. One objective of the article is to identify tools monitoring whether agents act in the best interests of stakeholders and consider if smart contracts are usable for all financial dealings between agents and stakeholders.  A qualitative research framework was adopted because of the constraints of the enigmatic, secretive Islamic banking culture. A case study of the debacle of an award winning Islamic bank and the analysis of the 2017 International Monetary Fund Report on Islamic banking shed new light on the sector.