Development of central bank digital currencies: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose

We aim to conduct a bibliometric analysis that explores and maps quantitative data of the emerging field of central bank digital currencies in science and its implications in practice. We seek to clarify the underlying research structures and streams of the new phenomena, and our motivation is the rising number of pilots between governments seeking to implement different types of central bank digital currency.

Design/methodology/approach

We designed the unique set of keywords to explore ongoing projects on central bank digital currencies and the evolution of scientific thought on the topic. We conducted a descriptive analysis and an evaluating bibliometric analysis on the timeline from 2018 to April 18, 2023 and investigated 76 articles in the Web of Science database and 152 articles in the Scopus database using VOSviewer.

Findings

We highlight three main directions of discourse on central bank digital currencies in economics using authors keyword analysis, that are: (1) cash, (2) monetary policy and (3) financial stability. We conducted a map-based text analysis of the abstracts and identified the following main streams of discussion in the field: (1) policy-related research on financial systems, (2) a comprehensive review of the design and features of central bank digital currencies and (3) research on the impact of central bank digital currencies on the banking system.

Originality/value

The unique set of keywords allows us to continue the discourse on central bank digital currencies including implications of ongoing governmental projects on the topic and provide directions for future research. We brought the focus on the impact of central bank digital currencies on the banking sector and the new possible order for cash, deposits and payments.