<p>Based on panel data of three provinces and one municipality in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2013 to 2023, this study empirically examines the impact of digital finance on ecological environmental resilience and its underlying mechanisms using fixed-effect and mediation effect models. The findings indicate that digital finance significantly enhances ecological environmental resilience, with results remaining robust across multiple validation tests. The effect exhibits a "strong-west-weak-east" spatial heterogeneity, being most pronounced in Anhui, followed by Zhejiang, and relatively weaker in Jiangsu, with greater impacts observed in regions characterized by high internet penetration and underdeveloped traditional finance. Mechanism analysis reveals that digital finance transmits policy dividends through three pathways: empowering green technological innovation, promoting industrial structure optimization and upgrading, and strengthening environmental regulation intensity. Further tests demonstrate that financial agglomeration level exerts a significant positive moderating effect on this process. This study provides novel empirical evidence for understanding the ecological governance efficacy of digital finance and offers important reference value for promoting high-quality development in the YRD.</p>