ISSN: 2225-8329
Open access
This study explores how platform transparency, Shariah governance quality, technological readiness, and regulatory support influence investor trust and, in turn, promote financial inclusion in Islamic crowdfunding platforms. Despite the rapid growth of this sector, limited research has explored the combined effects of these factors under conditions of uncertainty and behavioral complexity. To address this gap, a fuzzy agent-based simulation (FABS) model was developed using fuzzy logic in Python to capture the ambiguity inherent in human decision-making and regulatory environments. The simulation model’s heterogeneous investor agents whose trust levels respond dynamically to platform characteristics, moderated by economic stability and digital literacy. Findings reveal that transparency and strong Shariah governance significantly enhance investor trust, particularly when digital literacy is high. Technological readiness and regulatory support further strengthen trust, while economic stability amplifies these effects. These results highlight the nonlinear and adaptive nature of trust formation and its pivotal role in advancing financial inclusion. This study contributes methodologically by introducing a novel FABS framework tailored to Islamic fintech ecosystems and conceptually by offering insights into the behavioral dynamics shaping investor trust. Practically, the findings suggest that platform developers and policymakers should prioritize transparency, robust governance, and investor education to enhance platform effectiveness. Future research should extend this model to incorporate other stakeholders such as regulators and fundraisers, validate findings with empirical data, and explore cross-border applications to strengthen policy design and platform scalability.
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