ISSN (print) - 0131-7652

ISSN (online) - 2686-7605

Vol. 56 No. 2 (2026)
Cover story: “Almighty AI“?

Transformation of the Informal and Shadow Economy under the Influence of Digital Technologies

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  • D.V. Nekipelova
D.V. Nekipelova
Institute of Regional Economics and Intergovernmental Relations Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30680/ECO0131-7652-2026-2-26-47

Published 2026-04-06

Keywords

  • informal economy; shadow economy; digitalization; digital informality; digital shadow; digital platforms; cryptocurrencies; blockchain

How to Cite

1.
Nekipelova Д. Transformation of the Informal and Shadow Economy under the Influence of Digital Technologies. ECO [Internet]. 2026 Apr. 6 [cited 2026 Apr. 7];56(2):26-47. Available from: https://ecotrends.ru/index.php/eco/article/view/4950

Abstract

This paper submits evidence that the informal and shadow economy not only persists but is undergoing structural adaptation in the new conditions of the digital economy, characterized by expanded opportunities for control. The study reveals the emergence of structurally interconnected hybrid forms of activity—”digital informality” and the “digital shadow”—which are blurring traditional boundaries between sectors. Key drivers of this transformation are disintermediation and enhanced confidentiality, enabled by blockchain, peer-to-peer networks, and encryption. These technologies are fostering autonomous digital ecosystems (darknet marketplaces, decentralized finance, informal “digital bazaars” within messaging apps) that develop their own informal institutions. This transformation generates both theoretical-methodological challenges – stemming from the inadequacy of previous approaches to measuring and conceptualizing these new forms – and regulatory challenges related to chronic legislative lag, jurisdictional conflicts, and related issues. Significant challenges also arise in the socio-economic sphere, ranging from increased digital inequality and the vulnerability of platform workers to risks of a narrowing fiscal base and the escalation of cybercrime. Overcoming these challenges calls for development of interdisciplinary analytical frameworks, implementation of adaptive, risk-oriented regulatory models, strengthening of international coordination, and adoption of a socially oriented approach to digitalization that minimizes the risks of exclusion. Ignoring the depth of the transformation of the informal and shadow economy threatens economic and social stability and reduces the capacity to control its development and transformation.
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