A Bibliometric Analysis of Fintech Evolution (2005–2025)

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 1,567 scholarly publications to map the evolution of Fintech from 2005 to 2025. Leveraging the SPAR4SLR framework and advanced tools like Biblioshiny, three critical paradigm shifts are identified: the transition from foundational digital banking (2005–2014) to AI-driven financial systems (2015–2019), pandemic-accelerated digitization (2020–2022), and the current era of ethical AI and decentralized finance (2023–2025). The analysis reveals that post-2020 research predominantly focuses on technological innovations such as blockchain and algorithmic trading, while ethical implications remain underrepresented—highlighting a significant governance gap. Geographical disparities are also evident, with most publications originating from North America and Europe, despite Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia emerging as key regions for fintech adoption. This research provides actionable policy recommendations to bridge these gaps, including a framework for AI ethics in credit scoring and strategies for fintech integration.