Identifying technological development trajectories in blockchain domain: a patent citation network analysis
Dejian Yu, Tianxing Pan · Technology Analysis and Strategic Management · 2021
In the past few years, blockchain technology has attracted more and more attention, and it has been widely used in various fields. But there is still a lack of relevant research reports on the innovation path identification of blockchain technology from a patent perspective. By downloading a total of 14,560 patents from Derwent Innovations Index and conducting main path analysis, this paper illuminates the overall picture of the development of blockchain for experts in this domain from a technology perspective. As an objective and quantitative network-based method, main path analysis identifies important patent, structural backbone and development trajectories in the blockchain development. This provides a reference for the scientific communities to understand the current state of blockchain technology, thereby illuminating future research.