Bibliometric Analysis of the Blockchain Scientific Evolution: 2014–2020

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Abstract
As one of the disruptive technologies in the fourth industrial revolution, Blockchain has irrevocably changed how people live and work. Many scholars have studied the Blockchain, and the number of related publications has increased over time. Bibliometrics is an excellent method to study the development trend of a specific field. However, few scholars have used bibliometrics to research Blockchain; the inheritance and evolution among its different research themes have not yet been fully understood. This study emphasizes the scientific evolution and research focus of Blockchain through bibliometric analysis. We analyzed 2993 publications from 2014 to 2020 using co-word analysis and cluster analysis with bibliometric tools such as the SciMAT. The most productive author, country, institutions and leading research areas were identified, outlining the Blockchain field’s fundamental developments. The results show the changes in keywords regarding Blockchain summarize the research hotspots in different periods. The study discusses the evolution process of various themes in each period, providing a meaningful reference for scholars to identify research hotspots and future research directions in the Blockchain field.

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