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The world around us has become increasingly digital in recent years, from the quick adoption of mobile phones to the emergence of the Internet and, more recently, social media and big data. With profound effects on all productive sectors, the “digital revolution,” considered as the widespread use of digital technology, has fundamentally changed the financial sector. This is presently in the midst of a profound and unheard-of change known as FinTech, which is the direct outcome of the application of technology to finance. Among other things, blockchain has recently gained popularity in the financial services industry. Therefore, a greater comprehension of how this novel technology could affect the financial industry is necessary. In this paper, we explore how blockchain may impact on financial intermediaries and banks.

Financial mechanisms play a vital role in maintaining firm performance alongside sustainable growth practices, which include factors such as low-carbon emissions, green energy, and climate change. External investors increasingly incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into their investment decisions. However, there is limited data on the potential mechanisms underlying ESG and how ESG performance relates to firm performance. This paper, therefore, focuses on the relationship between firms' ESG performance and explores whether firm performance is moderated by ESG-related financial mechanisms. Our empirical analysis is based on data from 215,110 firm-year observations from global, publicly-traded firms during the period 2016–2020. Using ROA and ROS as measures, we found that ESG performance has a significant and positive effect on firm performance. Second, we discovered that ESG performance improves firm performance by alleviating financial constraints. Third, our results show that ESG performance improves external financing, including long-term and short-term debt. Finally, we demonstrate that strong ESG performance sends a high-quality signal to the credit market, which helps firms gain more trade credit, allowing them to improve their performance and the financial environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]