Review article
https://doi.org/10.31784/zvr.14.1.21
Bibliometric analysis of research in the field of digital financial innovations: A comparison of Scopus and Web of Science databases (2011–2025)
Ivan Gržeta
orcid.org/0000-0003-4900-0688
; Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The rapid development of digital technologies has fundamentally transformed financial services, leading to a significant increase in academic interest in fintech, digital finance, blockchain, and financial inclusion. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of published scientific papers in these fields in the period from 2011 to 2025, using two complementary databases, Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). The aim of the paper is to map the thematic, authorship, and citation structure of the research through bibliometric analysis and to compare the results obtained from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. By applying the R tool (Bibliometrix) and VOSviewer, a map of publication trends, influential authors, countries, and journals was developed, and networks of co-authorship, co-citation, and keywords were analysed. The results indicate a sharp and continuous growth of this research field after 2017, driven by global developments in this area. The thematic structures in both databases converge around four key clusters: fintech governance and regulation; blockchain and decentralized finance; financial inclusion and inequality; and risk management using artificial intelligence. The findings provide an integrated overview of the evolution of research in the field of digital financial innovations and identify promising directions for future scientific research. The results are relevant both for researchers and practitioners, as they enhance the understanding of key trends, guide the development of innovations, and facilitate the identification of areas in which technological changes will most significantly affect financial markets. The obtained results may also be relevant for the Croatian context, as they enable a comparison of domestic research and regulatory orientations with international research trends and provide a framework for understanding the development of digital financial innovations.
Keywords
digital financial innovations; fintech; blockchain; financial inclusion; bibliometric analysis
Hrčak ID:
348176
URI
Publication date:
3.7.2026.
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