Abstract
In this study we present a comprehensive bibliometric analysis that examines the
intersection of financial technology (fintech) and regional economic development
research from 2000 to 2025. We are using data from the Web of Science Core
Collection, by analyzing 474 peer-reviewed publications through VOSviewer and
Bibliometrix (Biblioshiny) in order to map the intellectual structure, thematic evolution,
and collaborative patterns that are present in this interdisciplinary field. We believe that
our analysis reveals a rapidly expanding research domain with an annual growth rate of
46.95%, which indicates a growing scholarly attention particularly after 2019. Our
dataset includes contributions from 1,318 authors across 102 sources, and that
demonstrates a notable international collaboration (23.42%) with an average of 3 co-
authors per document.
We conduct a keyword co-occurrence analysis that identifies four primary research
clusters: (1) blockchain technology and cryptocurrency applications in regional finance,
(2) mobile money and digital payment systems in developing regions, (3) peer-to-peer
lending and crowdfunding for local entrepreneurship, and (4) open banking and
financial inclusion for rural development. We continue by conducting a temporal
analysis that indicates a thematic shift from basic digital finance infrastructure (2000-
2010) toward sophisticated applications including decentralized finance, regulatory
technology, and sustainable development goals alignment (2020-2025), to name a few.
Then we continue with geographic analysis that reveals concentrated research output
from China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with an aggregate output of
52% of publications. Nevertheless, it is important to point out that emerging economies
demonstrate increasing participation also. We continue by conducting a citation
analysis that highlights seminal works bridging financial innovation theory with spatial
economics, with an average of 23.53 citations per document. The field exhibits strong
interdisciplinarity, connecting computer science, economics, geography, and public
policy domains.
Our key findings suggest fintech serves simultaneously by equalizing the gap between
well developed and underserved regions and at the same time acting as a potential driver
of new spatial inequalities. We also draw the conclusion that there are also some
research gaps which persist in understanding long-term regional impacts, regulatory
frameworks for subnational fintech adoption, and the role of digital financial services
in post-pandemic regional recovery. We believe that our bibliometric mapping provides
both, the researchers and the policymakers with a systematic understanding of how
fintech research intersects with regional development studies and offers crucial insights
for designing place-based digital financial strategies and also for identifying promising
avenues for future investigation in this rapidly evolving field.

JEL Codes: G21, G23, O16, O30, R11, R58,