IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i6p5067-d1095824.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Quantitative and Qualitative Review of Blockchain Research from 2015 to 2021

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaolin Li

    (Department of Construction Engineering and Management, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Hongbo Jiao

    (Department of Construction Engineering and Management, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Liming Cheng

    (Department of Construction Engineering and Management, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Yilin Yin

    (School of Management, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China)

  • Huimin Li

    (Department of Construction Engineering and Management, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Wenqing Mu

    (The First Institute of Resources and Environment Investigation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450000, China)

  • Ruirui Zhang

    (The First Institute of Resources and Environment Investigation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450000, China)

Abstract

Blockchain has the potential to reconfigure the contemporary economic, legal, political and cultural landscape, causing a flood of research on this topic. However, limited efforts have been made to conduct retrospective research to appraise the blockchain studies in the recent period, easily leading to a neglect of new technological trends. Consequently, the present research designs a quantitative- and qualitative-analysis procedure to review the latest research status. Adopting a four-step workflow, six research hotspots (i.e., the specific application areas of blockchain technology, the integration of blockchain and other technologies, the driving factors of blockchain, the values of blockchain technology, the types of blockchain and the core technologies of blockchain) and five research frontiers (i.e., entrepreneurship, contract, industrial internet, data management and distributed ledger technology) were detected using quantitative analysis. Furthermore, three other topics (i.e., the Internet of things, access control and trust) and two research gaps (i.e., the true effect of blockchain technology on firms’ operational efficiency and the regulation of the “dark sides” of blockchain technology) were also identified, using qualitative analysis. Finally, the evolutionary paths were qualitatively analyzed, and then three phases of blockchain research were summarized. The conclusions are able to provide a more comprehensive enlightenment regarding blockchain’s research hotspots, research frontiers, evolutionary paths and research gaps in the recent period, from 2015 to 2021, and to provide a reference for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaolin Li & Hongbo Jiao & Liming Cheng & Yilin Yin & Huimin Li & Wenqing Mu & Ruirui Zhang, 2023. "A Quantitative and Qualitative Review of Blockchain Research from 2015 to 2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:5067-:d:1095824
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/5067/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/5067/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chang, Victor & Baudier, Patricia & Zhang, Hui & Xu, Qianwen & Zhang, Jingqi & Arami, Mitra, 2020. "How Blockchain can impact financial services – The overview, challenges and recommendations from expert interviewees," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Lin William Cong & Zhiguo He, 2019. "Blockchain Disruption and Smart Contracts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(5), pages 1754-1797.
    3. Sara Saberi & Mahtab Kouhizadeh & Joseph Sarkis & Lejia Shen, 2019. "Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply chain management," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(7), pages 2117-2135, April.
    4. Tsao, Yu-Chung & Thanh, Vo-Van, 2021. "Toward blockchain-based renewable energy microgrid design considering default risk and demand uncertainty," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 870-881.
    5. Abderahman Rejeb & John G. Keogh & Horst Treiblmaier, 2019. "Leveraging the Internet of Things and Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, July.
    6. Fei Gao & De-Li Chen & Min-Hang Weng & Ru-Yuan Yang, 2021. "Revealing Development Trends in Blockchain-Based 5G Network Technologies through Patent Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-21, February.
    7. Baocheng Wang & Zetao Li, 2021. "Healthchain: A Privacy Protection System for Medical Data Based on Blockchain," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-16, September.
    8. Chaomei Chen & Fidelia Ibekwe-SanJuan & Jianhua Hou, 2010. "The structure and dynamics of cocitation clusters: A multiple-perspective cocitation analysis," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 61(7), pages 1386-1409, July.
    9. Dennys Eduardo Rossetto & Roberto Carlos Bernardes & Felipe Mendes Borini & Cristiane Chaves Gattaz, 2018. "Structure and evolution of innovation research in the last 60 years: review and future trends in the field of business through the citations and co-citations analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(3), pages 1329-1363, June.
    10. Horim Kim & Jaeyoung Kim & Kyungmyung Jang & Jaemin Han, 2020. "Are the Blockchain-Based Patents Sustainable for Increasing Firm Value?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, February.
    11. Wang, Yingli & Singgih, Meita & Wang, Jingyao & Rit, Mihaela, 2019. "Making sense of blockchain technology: How will it transform supply chains?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 221-236.
    12. Dorin Vicentiu Popescu & Adriana Dima & Elena Radu & Ecaterina Milica Dobrota & Victor Marian Dumitrache, 2022. "Bibliometric Analysis of the Green Deal Policies in the Food Chain," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 24(60), pages 410-410, April.
    13. Jun-Ho Huh & Seong-Kyu Kim, 2019. "The Blockchain Consensus Algorithm for Viable Management of New and Renewable Energies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-26, June.
    14. Yaowu Sun & Yi Zhai, 2018. "Mapping the knowledge domain and the theme evolution of appropriability research between 1986 and 2016: a scientometric review," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(1), pages 203-230, July.
    15. Fletcher, Emily & Larkin, Charles & Corbet, Shaen, 2021. "Countering money laundering and terrorist financing: A case for bitcoin regulation," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    16. Sean Foley & Jonathan R Karlsen & Tālis J Putniņš, 2019. "Sex, Drugs, and Bitcoin: How Much Illegal Activity Is Financed through Cryptocurrencies?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(5), pages 1798-1853.
    17. Yuanfeng Cai & Dan Zhu, 2016. "Fraud detections for online businesses: a perspective from blockchain technology," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 2(1), pages 1-10, December.
    18. Li Zhang & Yongping Xie & Yang Zheng & Wei Xue & Xianrong Zheng & Xiaobo Xu, 2020. "The challenges and countermeasures of blockchain in finance and economics," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 691-698, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abderahman Rejeb & John G. Keogh & Suhaiza Zailani & Horst Treiblmaier & Karim Rejeb, 2020. "Blockchain Technology in the Food Industry: A Review of Potentials, Challenges and Future Research Directions," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Friedman, Nicola & Ormiston, Jarrod, 2022. "Blockchain as a sustainability-oriented innovation?: Opportunities for and resistance to Blockchain technology as a driver of sustainability in global food supply chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    3. Kimani, Danson & Adams, Kweku & Attah-Boakye, Rexford & Ullah, Subhan & Frecknall-Hughes, Jane & Kim, Ja, 2020. "Blockchain, business and the fourth industrial revolution: Whence, whither, wherefore and how?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    4. Dutta, Pankaj & Choi, Tsan-Ming & Somani, Surabhi & Butala, Richa, 2020. "Blockchain technology in supply chain operations: Applications, challenges and research opportunities," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    5. Marina Efthymiou & Katie McCarthy & Chris Markou & John F. O’Connell, 2022. "An Exploratory Research on Blockchain in Aviation: The Case of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, February.
    6. Sharma, Mahak & Sehrawat, Rajat & Daim, Tugrul & Shaygan, Amir, 2021. "Technology assessment: Enabling Blockchain in hospitality and tourism sectors," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    7. Garg, Poonam & Gupta, Bhumika & Chauhan, Ajay Kumar & Sivarajah, Uthayasankar & Gupta, Shivam & Modgil, Sachin, 2021. "Measuring the perceived benefits of implementing blockchain technology in the banking sector," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    8. Abderahman Rejeb & Karim Rejeb & Steve Simske & Horst Treiblmaier, 2021. "Blockchain Technologies in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: A Bibliometric Review," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-28, October.
    9. Ulpan Tokkozhina & Ana Lucia Martins & Joao C. Ferreira, 2023. "Multi-tier supply chain behavior with blockchain technology: evidence from a frozen fish supply chain," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 1562-1576, September.
    10. Itay Goldstein & Wei Jiang & G Andrew Karolyi, 2019. "To FinTech and Beyond," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(5), pages 1647-1661.
    11. Davies, Jennifer & Sharifi, Hossein & Lyons, Andrew & Forster, Rick & Elsayed, Omar Khaled Shokry Mohamed, 2024. "Non-fungible tokens: The missing ingredient for sustainable supply chains in the metaverse age?," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    12. Cahill, Daniel & G. Baur, Dirk & (Frank) Liu, Zhangxin & W. Yang, Joey, 2020. "I am a blockchain too: How does the market respond to companies’ interest in blockchain?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    13. Yuling Sun & Xiaomei Song & Yihao Jiang & Jian Guo, 2023. "Strategy Analysis of Fresh Agricultural Enterprises in a Competitive Circumstance: The Impact of Blockchain and Consumer Traceability Preferences," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, February.
    14. Anil Donmez & Alexander Karaivanov, 2022. "Transaction fee economics in the Ethereum blockchain," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(1), pages 265-292, January.
    15. Seyyed-Alireza Radmanesh & Alireza Haji & Omid Fatahi Valilai, 2023. "Blockchain-Based Architecture for a Sustainable Supply Chain in Cloud Architecture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, June.
    16. Kirti Nayal & Rakesh D. Raut & Balkrishna E. Narkhede & Pragati Priyadarshinee & Gajanan B. Panchal & Vidyadhar V. Gedam, 2023. "Antecedents for blockchain technology-enabled sustainable agriculture supply chain," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 327(1), pages 293-337, August.
    17. Chen, Xiaohui & Teng, Lei & Chen, Wen, 2022. "How does FinTech affect the development of the digital economy? Evidence from China," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    18. Pattanayak, Sirsha & Ramkumar, M. & Goswami, Mohit & Rana, Nripendra P., 2024. "Blockchain technology and supply chain performance: The role of trust and relational capabilities," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    19. Wangcheng Yan & Wenjun Zhou, 2023. "Is blockchain a cure for peer-to-peer lending?," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 321(1), pages 693-716, February.
    20. Deqing Ma & Pengcheng Ma & Jinsong Hu, 2024. "The Impact of Blockchain Technology Adoption on an E-Commerce Closed-Loop Supply Chain Considering Consumer Trust," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-41, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:5067-:d:1095824. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.