BLOCKCHAIN IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: A BIBLIOMETRIC STUDY

Abstract

This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of academic production on blockchain in public administration and digital governance. The aim is to map the thematic structure, leading authors, sources and countries, as well as to identify research gaps and emerging trends. A theoretical-deductive method with a descriptive-exploratory approach was adopted, based on 1,867 documents indexed in Scopus between 2016 and 2025, selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria consistent with the PRISMA 2020 protocol. Bibliometric and network-analysis procedures were applied using Bibliometrix, VOSviewer and Gephi, covering performance indicators, keyword co-occurrence, reference co-citation and thematic mapping. The results show consistent growth of the literature, with emphasis on topics such as digital security, privacy, electronic government, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence. Four thematic pillars were identified: (i) technical and financial foundations of the technology, including cryptography, consensus mechanisms and crypto-assets; (ii) applications in government and public services, associating blockchain, smart contracts and distributed ledgers with transparency, trust, digital transformation and auditing; (iii) technological convergence with IoT, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and machine learning; and (iv) sector-specific domains and niche applications, such as health, digital identity, real-estate markets, supply chains and food sustainability. Gaps remain in quantitative metrics and empirical impact assessments, particularly regarding fraud reduction, administrative efficiency and cost–benefit evaluation. The findings highlight blockchain’s role as a distributed trust infrastructure while underscoring the need for applied research to strengthen interoperability, technical standardization and legal certainty, and to support the formulation of efficient public policies.