Mapping the Blockchain Technology Research: A Bibliometrics and Visualization Approach

Abstract

Research on blockchain technology explores the multifaceted aspects of decentralized and distributed ledger systems. Originating with Bitcoin in 2009, the technology has since evolved beyond cryptocurrencies, gaining prominence in diverse sectors such as finance, supply chain, and healthcare. Scholars have investigated the underlying principles, design considerations, scalability challenges, and potential applications of blockchains. This study aims to map blockchain technology research using bibliometrics and a visualization approach. Scholarly publications on blockchain technology were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative indicators from the Web of Science (WoS) database. A total of 5,249 research articles, spanning a decade (2011-2020) were extracted from the WoS database. This analysis has been enriched using various bibliometric tools, including Biblioshiny, VOSviewer, RStudio, and BibExcel. The key findings of this study revealed that the highest annual growth rate of publications occurred in 2018, with 581 records (184.80%). Author Zhang Y published most of the papers (57) with 1,857 citations. China emerged as the most cited country, with 14,779 world citation shares.