A Bibliometric Analysis of Blockchain-Based Zakat System Design: Solutions for Transparency and Oversight of Zakat Funds in the Digital Era

Abstract

This research was conducted to fill the literature gap related to the specific application of blockchain technology to the zakat system, which until now has been little discussed in the context of transparency and accountability of zakat fund management. While previous studies have generally only highlighted the potential of blockchain in the financial and charity sectors, this study explores in depth the design of a blockchain-based zakat system to supervise zakat funds in the digital era. This study analyzes 44 articles indexed by Scopus, published between 2019-2024, to identify publication trends, geographical contributions, main keywords, and influential institutions and journals on this topic. The results show that blockchain has significant potential to improve transparency and accountability of zakat management, with an increasing research trend in Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. In addition, the data shows that the main contributions to this research come from academic institutions in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This analysis demonstrates the need for a cutting-edge technological approach to zakat management that is more transparent and accountable and provides a foundation for further studies in the application of blockchain to the Islamic finance sector.

Received: 22 November 2024 / Accepted: xx December 2024 / Published: 11 January 2025