Blockchain‐Enabled Traceability for Sustainable Consumption: Themes, Trends and a Research Agenda

Abstract

Sustainability attributes are often credence features, creating information frictions that can erode consumer confidence in sustainable products. Blockchain has been proposed as a credibility and coordination infrastructure that enhances transparency and traceability across supply chains, yet research at the blockchain–sustainable consumption interface remains fragmented. This study maps the intellectual structure and temporal evolution of this emerging domain using a bibliometric‐systematic literature review. A focused topic search of the Web of Science Core Collection (blockchain* AND (‘sustainab*’ NEAR/2 ‘consum*’)) yielded 112 records; after screening, 84 peer‐reviewed English‐language journal articles published between 2019 and 2026 were analysed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Keyword co‐occurrence, co‐citation, bibliographic coupling, co‐authorship analysis, timeline mapping and burst detection identify four dominant clusters: blockchain for circular supply chain performance; blockchain‐enabled transparency and sustainable consumer adoption; blockchain traceability in sustainable food consumption and pricing and competition in blockchain‐traceable supply chains. The findings indicate a shift from solution design and circular economy framing to traceability‐centred research that integrates consumer behaviour with supply chain management, with recent citation bursts highlighting behavioural mechanisms and supply chain management (2025–2026). The review consolidates dispersed evidence and advances a research agenda that emphasises boundary conditions, comparative disclosure regimes and stronger behavioural and operational validation.