This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .
FinTech Convergence: Analyzing UPI and Crypto Impacts on Transaction Efficiency in Indian Gig Commerce
1M.V. Madhavi, 2N.A. Francis Xavi, 1T. Chaitanya Lakshmi
1Independent Researcher, Vijayawada, India 2Dean of Commerce and Business Administration, Department of Commerce, Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, India
Abstract
This study examines the impact of FinTech convergence through UPI and cryptocurrency-based hybrid payment systems on transaction efficiency in Indian gig commerce. Using panel data from 1,000 transactions across delivery and freelance platforms, the research compares traditional UPI payments with hybrid UPI-crypto models. The findings reveal that hybrid systems significantly improve transaction speed, reducing average settlement time from 8.24 seconds to 4.92 seconds, representing a 40% enhancement in efficiency. Independent t-test results confirm the statistical significance of the improvement (t = 5.67, p < 0.001), while correlation analysis indicates a positive relationship between faster payments and worker retention (r = 0.38). The study further highlights reduced transaction costs and lower cart abandonment rates associated with hybrid payment adoption. The research provides practical implications for gig platforms, workers, and regulators by proposing scalable frameworks for faster payouts and improved liquidity management. The findings support the growing role of FinTech innovations in strengthening India’s digital payment ecosystem and gig economy.
Keywords: Fintech, UPI, Cryptocurrency Payments, Gig Commerce, Transaction Efficiency.
References
- N. Grover and P. Aggarwal, “Impact of FinTech on Liquidity Creation - Evidence from Indian Banks,” Managerial Finance, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 540–555, Sep. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1108/mf-05-2024-0349
- S. Claessens, L. W. Cong, F. Moshirian, and C.-Y. Park, “Opportunities and Challenges Associated with the Development of FinTech and Central Bank Digital Currency,” Journal of Financial Stability, vol. 73, p. 101280, May 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfs.2024.101280
- M. I. Haque, A. A. NP, and S. M. J. Akhtar, “UPI and Financial Inclusion in Rural India: A Case Study,” Development and Sustainability in Economics and Finance, vol. 6, p. 100056, Mar. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsef.2025.100056
- R. Gupta, A. Anand, and T. Gupta, “Are Digital Payments Driven by Wealth Inequality? Evidence from Analysis of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Adoption in India,” Economic Analysis and Policy, vol. 87, pp. 1130–1141, Jul. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2025.07.014
- P. Ghosh and U. Golder, “Exploring the Effects of FinTech Adoption on Traditional Banking: A Systematic Literature Review on Opportunities and Challenges,” Digital Business, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 100163, Jan. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2026.100163
- S. Kashyap, B. Agarwal, A. Pushp, and S. Rastogi, “Does Indian Banks’ FinTech Investment Affect Their Liquidity and Efficiency? Using Competition Functions as a Moderator,” Journal of Financial Economic Policy, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 503–522, Aug. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfep-03-2025-0117
- F. Xu, Y. Kasperskaya, and M. Sagarra, “The Impact of FinTech on Bank Performance: A Systematic Literature Review,” Digital Business, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 100131, May 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2025.100131
- J. Migozzi, M. Urban, and D. Wójcik, “‘You Should Do What India Does’: FinTech Ecosystems in India Reshaping the Geography of Finance,” Geoforum, vol. 151, p. 103720, Mar. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2023.103720
- K. Sandhu, A. Dayanandan, and S. Kuntluru, “FinTech Innovation for Financial Inclusion: Can India Make It?,” International Journal of Accounting and Information Management, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 268–286, Dec. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-07-2023-0168
- P. Bhatnagr, A. Rajesh, and R. Misra, “The Impact of FinTech Innovations on Digital Currency Adoption: A Blockchain-Based Study in India,” International Journal of Accounting and Information Management, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 313–333, Aug. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-11-2023-0275
- D. Jaiswal, A. Mohan, and A. K. Deshmukh, “Cash Rich to Cashless Market: Segmentation and Profiling of FinTech-Led Mobile Payment Users,” Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 193, p. 122627, May 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122627
- T. Chaitanya Lakshmi, N. A. Francis Xavi, and M. V. Madhavi, “Leveraging Agentic AI for Hyper-Personalized Experiences: Empirical Evidence from Indian Retail Sector,” International Journal of Emerging Research in Science Engineering and Management, vol. 2, no. si1, pp. 228–236, May 2026. https://doi.org/10.66710/ijersem.v2si1.29
