Just as we were editing this book, Malaysia introduced new subsidiary legislation to regulate cryptocurrencies in the country. The news hit global headlines, particularly among the tech communities. The law, Capital Markets and Services (Prescriptions of Securities) (Digital Currency and Digital Token) Order 2019, which regulates all initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrencies, came into force on 15 January 2019.
The banking and financial landscape in the last decade has been inundated with ‘technology’. Financial Technology (FinTech), Insurance Technology (InsurTech) and Regulatory Technology (RegTech) are just some of the new buzzwords. Close to 80% of Fintech investments happen in the US, while it is growing rapidly in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Fintech development is gaining ground with the support of the regional governments in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Digital currencies have received a mixed response from the Islamic banking and finance (IB&F) industry. As Shariah permissibility (or ‘compliance’) strongly influences the demand for and supply of products in the IF&B industry, the verdicts reached by Shariah scholars on digital currencies have a strong bearing on their adoption amongst users.
| The first section of the paper deals with the concept of the Intelligent Agent, whereas the second section talks about its unique characteristics. In the last section, the paper discusses the impact of the Intelligent Agent on E-commerce. |