Financial technology and firm performance: a bibliometric review of research themes, theoretical foundations and future directions

Purpose This study aims to explore the research trends of the relationship between financial technology and firm performance literature from the scientific journal Scopus databases and investigate the key themes and potential future research directions. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a bibliometric and content analysis approach using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Data were collected from the Scopus databases based on inclusion–exclusion criteria. A total of 166 articles for final analysis were published from 2017 to 2025. The data were analysed using various software programs, including R-Biblioshiny, VOSviewer and Harzing-PoP. Findings This study shows a significant increase in publications related to financial technology and firm performance from 2017 to 2025 and is dominated in Asia and Europe. This study found that Sustainability Switzerland (Q1), Business Strategy and the Environment (Q1) and Technological Forecasting and Social Change (Q1) are the leading journals related to the topic, and the Asia and Europe continents dominated. The findings demonstrate the existence of four clusters of research streams in financial technology and firm performance literature, including (1) blockchain technology adoption for sustainable development, (2) Fintech as an innovation in business performance, (3) digital transformation for firm performance and (4) digitalization and supply chain management and performance. Research limitations/implications The study’s bibliometric analysis was based solely on articles from the Scopus database. Therefore, the findings may not represent all the literature on financial technology and firm performance. The study contributes a significant body of knowledge to the industry and the government in building sustainable firm performance in the disruption era. Practical implications This study provides valuable insight for the company managers or Fintech organizations to improve human capital and employee digital skills to enhance firm performance. Additionally, corporate and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to invest more in digital technology and build a trust and security system to increase efficiency and profitability. The government needs to provide better policy and regulation related to Fintech adoption and digital security systems for SMEs to encourage firm performance. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the earliest exploration of the relationship between financial technology and firm performance in the Scopus database. It provides valuable insights into the main trends and themes of research. This information can be a basis for future research and provide a more comprehensive understanding of financial technology adoption and business performance research.