Why governance friction, not capital, is becoming the new bottleneck for growth. Sustainable Islamic finance hit $11.9 billion in ESG sukuk issuance through Q3 2024, already surpassing 2023’s full-year total. Yet behind this growth lies an uncomfortable paradox: institutions are spending more time proving compliance than creating impact.
Islamic finance has always been about more than transactions, its a 1,400-year laboratory for ethical finance. The principles that govern Shariah compliance are the same ones conventional finance is now scrambling to implement under ESG mandates. It is a financial system rooted in values: fairness, transparency, shared risk, and
Where values meet innovation: AI for capacity building in Islamic finance “At Blade Labs, we’re pioneering AI that reasons with Hikmah and upholds Maqasid al-Shariah, embedding wisdom into digital infrastructure so Islamic finance can stay true to its principles while meeting the needs of people, families, and communities” — Sami
The global Islamic finance market is currently valued at over USD 5 trillion and yet, it represents only a small fraction of global financial assets. While the sector has grown steadily through strong regulatory and Shariah governance frameworks, its ability to scale remains constrained by operational complexity and manual compliance
Part 3 of the Digital Receipts on Blockchain series In Islamic finance, timing isn't just about efficiency; it's about compliance. The sequence of events can determine whether a transaction is permissible or prohibited under Shariah law. A bank must own an asset before it can sell
Major Milestone: Blade Labs’ Digital Receipt System Featured in Qatar’s Digital Asset Lab Earlier this month, Qatar Financial Centre’s Digital Asset Lab announced the launch of a blockchain-based proof-of-concept that incorporates Blade Labs’ Digital Receipt System (DRS), developed in collaboration with AlRayan Bank and Hashgraph. The initiative is
Part 2 of our Digital Receipts on Blockchain series The Islamic finance industry, currently valued at more than $5 trillion, rests on strong governance, clear documentation, dual approvals, and Shariah oversight. Yet these safeguards often depend on paper-heavy systems that slow down processes, raise costs, and frustrate customers. At Blade
Part 1 of our Digital Receipts on Blockchain series Islamic finance has operated for over 1,400 years, guided by principles of fairness, transparency, and ethical investment. Today, this $4 trillion industry faces opportunities in digital transformation. At Blade Labs, we're working to connect these principles with blockchain
Picture this: you're a Shariah advisor reviewing a complex Murabaha transaction that involves automatic profit distribution, compliance monitoring, and real-time asset verification across three jurisdictions. The traditional approach would require armies of lawyers, auditors, and administrators—each adding costs and potential failure points. But what if the transaction
When you think about revolutionary technology in finance, livestock tracking probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Yet at Blade Labs, our digital cattle pilot project offers a glimpse into the future of Islamic finance infrastructure, where physical assets gain digital identities and traditional trust mechanisms
"Islamic finance isn’t just about compliance—it’s about restoring balance in systems that have historically excluded millions. Our job is to make that restoration scalable." — Sami Mian, CEO, Blade Labs As the global Islamic fintech conversation turns to Doha for the 4th MENA InsurTech Summit, this
In the race to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, we've created enough PowerPoint slides about financial inclusion to circle the globe twice. Yet 1.7 billion adults remain stubbornly unbanked. The uncomfortable truth? Our industry's obsession with smartphone apps and sleek