Navigating Faith and Finance: The Role of Islamic Literacy and Scepticism in Shaping Cryptocurrency Investment Intention

Fuad Hasyim (1), Ririn Tri Ratnasari (2), Sri Herianingrum (3), Arroyan Ramly (4), Wakhid Musthofa (5)
(1) Faculty of Economics and Business, Airlangga University
(2) Faculty of Economics and Business, Airlangga University
(3) Faculty of Economics and Business, Airlangga University
(4) Faculty social and Science, İstanbul Üniversitesi, İstanbul Üniversitesi
(5) School of Allied Health Graduate Research School, The University of Western Australia
Fulltext View | Download
How to cite (SHIRKAH) :
Hasyim, F., Ratnasari, R. T., Herianingrum, S., Ramly, A., & Musthofa , W. (2025). Navigating Faith and Finance: The Role of Islamic Literacy and Scepticism in Shaping Cryptocurrency Investment Intention. Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business, 10(3), 368–387. https://doi.org/10.22515/shirkah.v10i3.682

Despite the rapid global adoption of cryptocurrencies, the lack of a unified Sharia ruling creates profound ethical uncertainty for faith-conscious investors. The present study analyses how investors integrate spiritual considerations and the complexities of Islamic Finance to formulate investment intentions in cryptocurrencies. Building on the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB), the model incorporates Islamic Financial Literacy and Sharia Scepticism. Shariah Scepticism and Islamic Financial Literacy reflect the Islamic value-embedded attitude towards finance and investment. For this study, the authors collected and analysed survey data from Java’s urban areas' 213 Muslims using PLS-SEM. Results demonstrate that people’s investment intentions are shaped by the compatibility of values, ease of use, and perceived usefulness of the investment. Financial Literacy in Islam bolsters confidence in Shariah-compliant digital assets, and Shariah Scepticism raises theological and ethical considerations. Despite the limited impact of perceived behavioural control, subjective norms exerted the most significant influence on behavioural intentions. This study adds to the Islamic behavioural finance literature the first faith-based model to explain investment intentions in cryptocurrencies within Muslim populations.

Acosta-Prado, J. C., Zárate-Torres, R. A., & Aburto-Camacllanqui, E. (2023). Entrepreneurial intention in master of business administration students at Colombian universities: the moderating role of perceived behavioral control | La intención emprendedora en estudiantes de maestría en administración de empresas de universidades co. Formacion Universitaria, 16(3), 31–40. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-50062023000300031

Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Ajzen, I., & Schmidt, P. (2020). Changing Behavior Using the Theory of Planned Behavior. In The Handbook of Behavior Change. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108677318.002

Akbar, M. A., Ramlan, A. N. M., Pitchay, A. A., & Annuar, H. A. (2025). Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Ecosystem: Balancing Innovation and Islamic Ethics for Sustainable Finance. In Islamic Finance and Sustainability: A Research Companion. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003518617-12

Almajali, D. A., Masa’Deh, R., & Dahalin, Z. M. (2022). Factors influencing the adoption of Cryptocurrency in Jordan: An application of the extended TRA model. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2103901

Alomari, A. S. A., & Abdullah, N. L. (2023). Cryptocurrency Adoption among Saudi Arabian Public University Students: Dual Structural Equation Modelling and Artificial Neural Network Approach. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2023(1), 9116006. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/9116006

Alshater, M. M., Saba, I., Supriani, I., & Rabbani, M. R. (2022). Fintech in islamic finance literature: A review. Heliyon, 8(9), e10385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10385

Asyiqin, I. Z., Akbar, M. F., & Beltrán Genovés, M. (2024). Cryptocurrency as a Medium of Rupiah Exchange: Perspective Sharia Islamic Law and Jurisprudential Analysis. Volksgeist: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum Dan Konstitusi, 7(2), 277–292. https://doi.org/10.24090/volksgeist.v7i2.10975

Bland, E., Changchit, C., Cutshall, R., & Pham, L. (2024). Behavioral and Psychological Determinants of Cryptocurrency Investment: Expanding UTAUT with Perceived Enjoyment and Risk Factors. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 17(10), 447. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm17100447

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. In Research design Qualitative quantitative and mixed methods approaches. https://books.google.com.sg/books/about/Research_Design.html?id=4uB76IC_pOQC&redir_esc=y

Davis, F. (1986). A Technology Acceptance Model for Empirically Testing New End-User Information Systems Theory And Results. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/15192

Davis, F. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 13(3), 319–339. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008

Dharma, Y., Puteh, A., Widodo, R., Alfaqih, L., & Yahya, A. (2024). The Influence of Financial Literacy and Islamic Business Ethics on Investment in Islamic Financial Instruments: The Mediating Role of Risk Attitude and the Moderating Role of Religious Knowledge. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8), 264–282. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.4729

Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention and behaviour: An introduction to theory and research (Vol. 27). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. In Source: Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800

Ghaemi Asl, M., Rashidi, M. M., & Hosseini Ebrahim Abad, S. A. (2021). Emerging digital economy companies and leading cryptocurrencies: insights from blockchain-based technology companies. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 34(5), 1506–1550. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-08-2020-0348

Hair, J., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C., Sarstedt, M., & Thiele, K. (2017). Mirror, mirror on the wall: a comparative evaluation of composite-based structural equation modeling methods. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-017-0517-x

Handayani, D., Ikhsan, R. B., Fernando, Y., Prasarry, Y. V., Prabowo, H., & Susilo, A. (2023). Predicting Customer Trust and Behavioral Intention to Invest Cryptocurrency. 2023 IEEE 9th International Conference on Computing, Engineering and Design, ICCED 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCED60214.2023.10425294

Hassan, M. K., Muneeza, A., & Mohamed, I. (2025). Cryptocurrencies from Islamic perspective. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 16(2), 390–410. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-09-2022-0238

Henseler, J., Ringle, C., & Sinkovics, R. (2009). The Use of Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in International Marketing. In Advances in International Marketing, 20, 277–319. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1474-7979(2009)0000020014

Hossain, M. S. (2021). What do we know about cryptocurrency? Past, present, future. China Finance Review International, 11(4), 552–572. https://doi.org/10.1108/CFRI-03-2020-0026

Ibrahim, N. M., Abu Bakar, M., Abdul Rahman, S. S., & Amrullah Drs Nasrul, M. (2024). Cryptocurrency as Digital Asset According to the Principles of Usul Al-fiqh: A Critical Analysis by Mohd Daud Bakar. 2024 3rd International Conference on Creative Communication and Innovative Technology, ICCIT 2024. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCIT62134.2024.10701114

Isiaku, L., Muhammad, A. S., & Oluwajana, D. (2024). Cryptocurrency’s emergence in North Cyprus: a mixed-methods exploration of attitudes and usage trends of an emerging payment method. Bottom Line, 37(4), 403–433. https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-02-2023-0043

Izadin, A. A. I., Mohd. Yusof, R., & Mazlan, A. R. (2025). The integration of Maqasid Shariah in evaluating stablecoins and traditional cryptocurrencies for Islamic portfolios diversification. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 18(3), 577-597. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-08-2024-0380

Kanimozhi, S., & Selvarani, A. (2019). Application of the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour in Technology Adoption: A Review. International Journal of Research and Analytical Review, 6(2), 735-739. https://ijrar.com/upload_issue/ijrar_issue_20543818.pdf

Khan, L., & Arif, I. (2022). Islamic Financial Literacy and Intention to Use Islamic Banking: A Role of Financial Considerations. Journal of Finance & Economics Research, 7(1), 47–59. https://doi.org/10.20547/jfer2207104

Khan, S. N. (2023). The legality of cryptocurrency from an Islamic perspective: a research note. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 14(2), 289–294. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-02-2022-0041

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Age International (P) Limited. https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=8c6gkbKi-F4C

Kumari, A., & Devi, N. C. (2023). Blockchain technology acceptance by investment professionals: a decomposed TPB model. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 21(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-12-2021-0466

Naz, S., & Nazir, N. (2024). Examining the Adoptability of Cryptocurrency in the Islamic Financial System: Perspectives from Sharīʿah Scholars. Journal of King Abdulaziz University of Islamic Economics, 37(2), 75–98. https://doi.org/10.4197/Islec.37-2.4

Nobi, K., & Singh, M. (2023). Level of dissemination of information on adherence to Shariah principles: a study of Shariah compliant companies in India. International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 35(3), 359–372. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBG.2023.134945

Nur, T. (2022). Factors Influencing Behavioral Intentions to Use Sharia Mobile Banking: Extended Theory of Planned Behavior. 2022 International Conference on Information Technology Systems and Innovation, ICITSI 2022 - Proceedings, 219–224. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICITSI56531.2022.9970897

Parvin, S. M. R., Panakaje, N., Sheikh, N., P., M. T., Irfana, S., Kulal, A., V., M., Shahid, M., N.M., A. B., & Nihal, M. (2025). An empirical analysis of stock market participation: from an Islamic perspective. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 18(1), 91–120. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-06-2024-0287

Pham, T. D., Pham, V. K., & Duong, N. T. (2024). An integrated model of online shopping behavior: Evidence from online shoppers in Vietnam. Current Psychology, 43(45), 34809–34827. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06977-4

Puah, S., Bin Mohmad Khalid, M. I. S., Looi, C. K., & Khor, E. T. (2022). Investigating working adults’ intentions to participate in microlearning using the decomposed theory of planned behaviour. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(2), 367–390. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13170

Rogers, E. M. (2010). Diffusion of Innovations, 4th Edition. Free Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=v1ii4QsB7jIC

Shahimi, S., & Zahari, S. A. (2025). Principles of Sustainability in Islamic Finance. In Islamic Finance and Sustainability: A Research Companion. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003518617-5

She, L., Rasiah, R., Weissmann, M. A., & Kaur, H. (2024). Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Explore Predictors of Financial Behaviour Among Working Adults in Malaysia. FIIB Business Review, 13(1), 118–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/23197145231169336

Siswantoro, D., Handika, R., & Mita, A. F. (2020). The requirements of cryptocurrency for money, an Islamic view. Heliyon, 6(1), e03235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03235

Stanciu, A., Partsch, M., & Lechner, C. M. (2024). Basic human values and the adoption of cryptocurrency. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1395674

Sukumaran, S., Bee, T. S., & Wasiuzzaman, S. (2023). Adoption of Cryptocurrency Investment: Malaysian Context. In Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems: Vol. 495 LNNS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08954-1_97

Taylor, S., & Todd, P. A. (1995). Understanding Information Technology Usage: A Test of Competing Models. Information Systems Research, 6(2), 144–176. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23011007

Thanki, H., Tripathy, N., & Shah, S. (2024). Investors’ Behavioral Intention in Mutual Fund Investments in India: Applicability of Theory of Planned Behavior. Asia-Pacific Financial Markets, 32, 975-996. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10690-024-09477-4

Trisanty, A., Haryanto, B., Sugiarto, C., & Wahyudi, L. (2024). Testing the role of skepticism in Islamic banks: evidence from Indonesia. Cogent Business and Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2364842

Vrain, E., Wilson, C., Kerr, L., & Wilson, M. (2022). Social influence in the adoption of digital consumer innovations for climate change. Energy Policy, 162, 112800. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112800

Wiwoho, J., Trinugroho, I., Kharisma, D. B., & Suwadi, P. (2024). Islamic crypto assets and regulatory framework: evidence from Indonesia and global approaches. International Journal of Law and Management, 66(2), 155–171. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-03-2023-0051

Yusfiarto, R., Nugraha, S. S., Mutmainah, L., Berakon, I., Sunarsih, S., & Nurdany, A. (2023). Examining Islamic capital market adoption from a socio-psychological perspective and Islamic financial literacy. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 14(4), 574–594. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-02-2022-0037

Zerbini, C., Bijmolt, T. H. A., Maestripieri, S., & Luceri, B. (2022). Drivers of consumer adoption of e-Commerce: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39(4), 1186–1208. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2022.04.003

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Copyright

Copyright aims to protect the specific way the article has been written to describe an experiment and the results. Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business is committed to its authors to protect and defend their work and their reputation and takes allegations of infringement, plagiarism, ethical disputes, and fraud very seriously. Automotive Experiences is published under the terms of the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication (online and print) with the work simultaneously. We use the restrictive license (non-commercial) as follows:

BY (attribution): Users are allowed to share, distribute and redistribute the published article in any medium or format, with an identification of the authors and its initial publication in this journal. Authors are encouraged to post and distribute their articles immediately after publication (e.g., institutional or public repositories, personal websites). Authors are allowed to enter into additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published and an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
NC (non-commercial): Users are not allowed to use the article commercially without the permission of the authors. Authors agree explicitly that the published article is indexed worldwide in databases, repositories and indexation services, even if these services operate on a commercial basis. Authors grant Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business explicit the right to include the published articles in databases, repositories and indexation services. 

License

License to Publish

The non-commercial use of the article will be governed by the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The author hereby grants Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business an exclusive publishing and distribution license in the manuscript include tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript in print, electronic and all other media (whether now known or later developed), in any form, in all languages, throughout the world, for the full term of copyright, and the right to license others to do the same, effective when the article is accepted for publication. This license includes the right to enforce the rights granted hereunder against third parties.

Author's Warranties

The author warrants that the article is original, written by stated author/s, has not been published before, contains no unlawful statements, does not infringe the rights of others, is subject to copyright that is vested exclusively in the author and free of any third party rights, and that any necessary written permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained by the author(s).

User Rights

Under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, the author(s) and users are free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material). Users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.

Rights of Authors

Authors retain the following rights:

  1. Copyright, and other proprietary rights relating to the article, such as patent rights,
  2. The right to use the substance of the article in future own works, including lectures and books,
  3. The right to reproduce the article for own purposes, provided the copies are not offered for sale, and
  4. The right to self-archive the article.

Co-Authorship

If the article was prepared jointly with other authors, the signatory of this form warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors to sign this agreement on their behalf, and agrees to inform his/her co-authors of the terms of this agreement.

Royalties

This agreement entitles the author to no royalties or other fees. To such extent as legally permissible, the author waives his or her right to collect royalties relative to the article in respect of any use of the article by Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business or its sublicensee.

Miscellaneous

Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business will publish the article (or have it published) in the Journal if the article's editorial process is successfully completed and Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business or its sublicensee has become obligated to have the article published. Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business may conform the article to a style of punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage that it deems appropriate.

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.