Blockchain security research: theorizing through bibliographic-coupling analysis

This paper employs bibliographic-coupling analysis to map the intellectual landscape of blockchain security research, identifying key themes, clusters, and theoretical developments within the domain. By analyzing a substantial volume of peer-reviewed literature, the author identifies critical research trajectories, including smart contract auditing, consensus protocol robustness, and privacy-preserving technologies. The research provides a meta-perspective on how the field has evolved, categorizing academic output based on thematic commonalities such as formal methods, application security, and governance. This bibliometric approach reveals a shift in research focus from foundational cryptographic proofs toward applied security in DApps and decentralized finance (DeFi). The study is notable for its methodological rigor in organizing the fractured body of security literature, making it an essential resource for researchers seeking to understand the 'state of the art.' It emphasizes that blockchain security is moving toward a more mature, interdisciplinary field that incorporates formal verification and economic analysis. The findings offer insights into which research areas are becoming saturated and which warrant further exploration, such as privacy-enhancing technologies and cross-chain security.