Financial innovation in FinTech and sustainable finance: research trends, thematic evolution, and future directions

Abstract

This study investigates the evolving intersection between financial technology (FinTech) and sustainable finance through a bibliometric analysis of 384 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus over the period 2017–2025. Using VOSviewer, the analysis combines co-occurrence, citation, and co-citation techniques to map the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of the field. The findings reveal a rapidly expanding and interdisciplinary research domain structured around five major clusters, including sustainable economic development, climate finance and energy transition, FinTech-driven financial inclusion and governance, digital finance and green innovation, and emerging paradigms such as decentralized finance. Despite this growth, the field remains fragmented, with limited integration between technological innovation, financial systems, and sustainability frameworks. The study contributes by providing a structured and updated mapping of the FinTech sustainable finance nexus, while identifying key research gaps related to governance, risk management, and emerging technologies. These findings offer valuable insights for researchers and policymakers seeking to enhance the role of digital innovation in sustainable financial systems.