Blockchain: a literature review

A blockchain consists of an ordered list with nodes and links where the nodes store information and are connected through links called chains. This technology supports the availability of a publicly maintained ledger of transactions, first gaining mainstream attraction with cryptocurrencies. A myriad of other applications have emerged ever since. There has been a steady growth in the number of research studies conducted in this field; as such, there is a need to review the research in this field. This paper conducts an extensive review on 76 journal publications in the field of blockchain from 2016 to 2018 available in Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) database. The aim of this paper is to present scholars and practitioners with a detailed overview of the available research in the field of blockchain. The selected papers have been grouped into 14 categories. The contents of papers in each category are summarized and future research direction for each category is outlined. This overview indicates that the research in blockchain is becoming more prominent and requires more effort in developing new methodologies and framework to integrate blockchain. It is the need of today’s growing business that ventures into new technologies like cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT).