SPs Theater Room UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS - The Graduate School (SPs) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 2817th Thesis Exam at the SPs Theater Room of UIN Jakarta on Monday, July 13, 2026 with candidate Leti Latifah.

Leti is a student of the Master of Islamic Studies program with a concentration in Islamic Economics. His thesis is entitled "Determination of the Success of Sharia P2P Financing Fintech on the Capital Needs of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises".

This thesis is motivated by a great irony in Indonesia: although the number of Muslim consumers continues to increase rapidly, sharia-based financing tends to experience systemic constraints. This is reflected in the low volume of financing, market share, level of inclusion, and literacy of Islamic finance when compared to the conventional financial sector which is much more dominant.

Through a mixed methods approach, Leti integrates two analytical tools at once, namely SEM-PLS to dissect the causal relationship of user behavior and AHP to determine the priority of success factors based on the perspective of experts. The results of the SEM-PLS analysis show that access to compliance and the scale of trust of innovation have a significant effect on the decision to use fintech P2P sharia financing, both directly and mediated by marketing entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, from the perspective of experts through the AHP analysis, it was found that ease of access and process, trust and security, and sharia compliance are the main pillars that determine the success of the platform. Other factors such as technological innovation and marketing strategies are positioned as supporting elements that strengthen these main pillars.

Interestingly, the findings of Leti research show that there is a real gap between real behavioral factors in the field and the strategic priorities mapped by experts. Technology-based financial industry innovations that offer convenience and practicality for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have not been able to significantly boost sharia-based financing schemes.

This study argues that the stagnation occurred because  the Islamic fintech industry  has not been based on a policy of strengthening a solid business model. In addition, weaknesses in product innovation and the slow adaptation of more competitive technologies in the digital financial ecosystem make Islamic platforms often lag behind their conventional competitors.

Despite facing tough challenges, this study confirms that  sharia P2P financing fintech has giant potential to be a solution to the financing gap and financial exclusion experienced by MSMEs. This potential can be realized through expanding access to financing, strengthening digital trust, and optimizing the role  of marketing entrepreneurship to encourage more inclusive use of services.

Academically, Leti Latifah's scientific work successfully complements and enriches the study  of fintech critical success factors (CSF)  globally that were previously researched by world experts such as Kristensen (2020), Nguyen (2022), Werth et al. (2023), and Wen Hua (2025). Leti provides novelty by integrating the dimensions of sharia compliance, social entrepreneurship, and marketing strategies simultaneously which have been very limited in research.

In conclusion, this thesis emphasizes that the success of  sharia P2P financing fintech in supporting MSME capital cannot be seen from one side only. This success must be understood as a multidimensional concept that combines technological sophistication, ease of access, security, sharia compliance, and the platform's ability to translate sharia and social values into a marketing strategy that is educational, transparent, and relevant to the real needs of MSME actors.

Leti successfully defended her thesis under the guidance of Dr. Ir. Roikhan Mochamad Aziz, MM, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA, Dr. Ir. Roikhan Mochamad Aziz, MM, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Rodoni, MM, Prof. Dr. Desmadi Saharuddin, MA.

After paying attention to the thesis writing, the comments of the examiner team and the candidate's answers, the examiner team determined that Leti Latifah graduated with the title of Very Satisfactory. Leti Latifah is the 2817th Master in the field of Islamic Studies, in the Master's program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (Jay A)