Mapping the intersection of sustainability and Fintech: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

The convergence of financial technology (fintech) and sustainability has emerged as a transformative force in the global effort to achieve inclusive, green, and efficient economic systems. Accordingly, this paper aims to examine current research trends, prolific authors, contributing countries, and prevailing themes in the field of fintech and sustainability. Data for the study were collected from the Scopus database, and the analysis was conducted using VOSviewer and RStudio. The findings demonstrate that although fintech-related sustainability research began to gain momentum after 2015, the number of publications has increased substantially since 2023 and is expected to double by the end of the current year. The results also indicate growing interest among researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in the role of fintech in advancing sustainability. Furthermore, this paper identifies key research themes and proposes future research directions, including fintech's role in promoting the circular economy and the integration of advanced technologies, such as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), into sustainable finance.