A comparative investigation of cryptocurrency research in developed and developing countries using bibliometric analysis

This study conducts a comparative bibliometric analysis of cryptocurrency research in developed and developing countries to examine differences in research productivity, citation impact, and collaboration patterns. A total of 4322 documents from 24 developed countries and 4921 documents from 15 developing countries were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using performance analysis and science mapping techniques. The findings indicate that developed countries, particularly the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, account for a larger share of high-impact publications and demonstrate stronger international collaboration networks. In contrast, several developing countries, including India, Brazil, and South Africa, show increasing research output and expanding participation in global scholarly networks, although citation impact remains comparatively lower. The analysis suggests evolving research dynamics between economic contexts and highlights both convergence and divergence in thematic focus and collaboration intensity. By systematically comparing cryptocurrency research across different innovation environments, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of global knowledge production in digital finance and underscores the importance of inclusive research collaboration to support balanced scholarly development.