Open Access

REVIEW

Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Game Theory Applications in Blockchain:A Decade Bibliometric Analysis

Arvind Panwar¹, Urvashi Sugandh², Achin Jain^3,*, Arun Kumar Dubey³, Sarita Yadav³
1 School of Computing Science & Engineering, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, India
2 School of Computer Science Engineering and Technology, Bennett University, Greater Noida, India
3 Department of Information Technology, Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering, New Delhi, India
* Corresponding Author: Achin Jain. Email: achin.mails@gmail.com

Journal of Blockchain and Intelligent Computing https://doi.org/10.32604/jbic.2026.077106

Received 02 December 2025; Accepted 21 January 2026; Published online 03 March 2026

Abstract

This study conducts a systematic bibliometric investigation of scholarly research on game-theoretic applications in blockchain ecosystems over the period 2014–2024, based on 554 publications retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Using citation analysis, co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and keyword co-occurrence mapping implemented through VOSviewer, the study quantitatively reveals the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and collaborative architecture of this interdisciplinary research domain. The results demonstrate an exponential growth in publications after 2020, corresponding with the rapid expansion of decentralized finance (DeFi) and Web3 ecosystems. Five dominant research clusters are identified: consensus mechanisms, token economics and incentive design, decentralized finance protocols, governance systems, and blockchain security frameworks. The geographical analysis shows that the United States, China, and European Union collectively contribute more than 65% of the global research output, highlighting their central role in shaping this field. Co-citation patterns reveal classical game theory, mechanism design, and evolutionary game theory as the foundational theoretical pillars underpinning blockchain research. Furthermore, emerging research fronts are identified in cross-chain interoperability, layer-2 scaling solutions, and decentralized governance optimization. This study provides the first PRISMA-compliant bibliometric mapping of game-theoretic blockchain research, offering a comprehensive scientific foundation for future theoretical development and protocol-level engineering design. This study constitutes the first PRISMA-compliant global bibliometric synthesis of game-theoretic blockchain research, revealing dominant intellectual streams, collaboration architectures, and future research trajectories.

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Keywords

Bibliometric analysis; game theory; blockchain technology; research mapping; scientific productivity; citation analysis; DeFi; intellectual structure

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