Mapping the Intellectual Landscape of Fintech: A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis

Asad Sultan; Hassan Mujtaba Nawaz Saleem

doi:10.2478/law-2026-0001

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Mapping the Intellectual Landscape of Fintech: A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis

Law and Business

AHEAD OF PRINT

By: Asad Sultan and Hassan Mujtaba Nawaz Saleem

Open Access

|May 2026

Abstract

Purpose

This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the global research landscape on financial technology (Fintech) to map its intellectual structure, thematic development, and geographical distribution.

Design/methodology/approach

Peer-reviewed publications indexed in Scopus from 2006 to 2025 were retrieved and analysed using VOSviewer, R-Studio, and Microsoft Excel. The analysis applied co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, citation mapping, and trend analysis techniques to identify influential contributors, key themes, and emerging areas.

Findings

Results show that Fintech has evolved into a multidisciplinary research field with significant linkages to financial inclusion, digital transformation, sustainable development, and blockchain-based innovations. China, India, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom emerge as leading contributors, while scholars such as Simplice Asongu and Manaf Al-Okaily are recognised as key intellectual influencers. Keyword clustering highlights core themes of mobile banking, financial literacy, digital identity, and decentralised finance, demonstrating the expanding role of Fintech in advancing financial access and innovation. Despite this growth, research gaps remain in cybersecurity, gender inclusivity, and green Fintech.

Practical implications

The findings provide insights for researchers, policymakers, and financial institutions aiming to understand and strategically shape the trajectory of Fintech in a technology-driven financial ecosystem.

Originality/value

By offering a data-driven, visual synthesis of global Fintech scholarship, this study advances understanding of thematic evolution and highlights future research opportunities in this rapidly evolving domain.

References

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/law-2026-0001 | Journal eISSN: 2720-1279

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Language: English

Published on: May 15, 2026

Published by: Polish Economic Security Foundation. Institute for Legal and Economic Dialogue and Analysis

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 1 issue per year

Keywords:

fintech,

financial technology,

blockchain,

financial information systems,

e-finance,

transformation,

financial inclusion

Related subjects:

Business and economics,

Business management,

Business management, other,

Law,

Commercial law,

Commercial law, other,

Commercial legal protection,

Commercial legal protection, other,

Public law,

Public law, other

© 2026 Asad Sultan, Hassan Mujtaba Nawaz Saleem, published by Polish Economic Security Foundation. Institute for Legal and Economic Dialogue and Analysis
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

AHEAD OF PRINT