The present article examines the pioneering case of blockchain adoption in local government by the City of Lugano and discusses how Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) may support institutional innovation beyond pilot experimentation. The Swiss municipality of Lugano has developed an integrated...

Road infrastructure underpins Nigeria's economic competitiveness, yet Public-Private Partnership (PPP) performance is constrained not by inadequate legislation but by persistent weaknesses in enforcement and governance. Transparency deficits across procurement, design management, certification,...

The article presents a blockchain-based architecture for decentralized electricity trading that tokenizes energy delivery rights and cash-flows. Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) are implemented as NFTs, while buy/sell orders are encoded as ERC-1155 tokens whose tokenId packs a time slot and...

In essence, the currently large stablecoins are electronic money issued by narrow balance sheet vehicles into a distributed ledger (or a "programmable platform"). Many believe that they will have significant success as a new form of money. Members of the current US administration expect that US...

Islamic Microfinance Institutions (IMFIs) encounter distinct difficulties with credit scoring because they need to follow Shariah principles that combine riba bans with fair financial dealings regulations. Conventional credit scoring models exhibit two shortcomings: a poor capability to...

The digitalization of finance has accelerated the diffusion of FinTech and raised new questions about how AI, data security and blockchain shape consumer behaviour. This article examines current FinTech users, focusing on mobile banking, security perceptions, AI-enabled personalisation and trust...

Around three quarters of Bitcoin transactions take place off-chain. Despite their significance, the vast majority of the empirical literature on cryptocurrencies focuses on on-chain transactions. This paper presents one of the first analysis of both on- and off-chain demand- and supply-side...

Background: Blockchain is increasingly proposed to strengthen pharmaceutical traceability, anti-counterfeiting, and chain of custody in multi-actor supply chains, but the evidence base remains heterogeneous in technical rigor and operational clarity. Methods: We conducted a mapping review of...

Background: The accelerated convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain is reconfiguring logistics, yet knowledge regarding their operationalisation for real-time inventory management remains fragmented. Methods: A Bibliometric-Systematic Literature Review (B-SLR) was conducted on...

Sports non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have rapidly emerged as tradable digital goods within platform-mediated marketplaces, reshaping how sports organizations, athletes, and brands design fan experiences and monetize digital assets. To consolidate fragmented scholarship and clarify the concept...

Around three-quarters of Bitcoin transactions occur off-chain. While most empirical studies focus exclusively on on-chain transactions, only few papers analyse off-chain transactions. The empirical evidence of Bitcoin market considering both types of trading strategies remains limited. This...

The expanding application of financial technologies, as well as growing participation of consumer investors, has multiplied the forms and functions of finance, deepening its entanglement with social, political, and cultural processes. This interview responds to increasing interest within the...

Background: Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies are increasingly proposed to strengthen traceability, governance, visibility, and coordination in mining and mineral supply chains, but mining-specific evidence remains fragmented. Methods: We conducted a systematic mapping review of...

This article delves into the transformative impact of blockchain technology on enhancing transaction quality and efficiency. Since the emergence of blockchain alongside Bitcoin in 2008, its decentralised and transparent nature has significantly improved transaction speed, security, and cost...

Blockchain was introduced in 2008, yet it remains poorly defined over a decade later. Despite the lack of a universally accepted definition, its utility continues to be widely advocated. However, a function or feature can only be classified as a technology if it addresses a specific human...

Background: Emergency scenarios present unprecedented challenges for supply chains worldwide, particularly in the management and distribution of critical supplies, where timely delivery and maintaining integrity are crucial. Methods: This article explores an innovative approach to enhance the...

Background: Organ transplants require proper monitoring and tracking. This research examines the adoption of blockchain in the organ supply chain to bring transparency and help patients avoid the fraud that may be faced in the organ transplant process. This study aims to develop a framework and...

Background: Supply chain collaboration technologies (SCCTs) are digital tools designed to enhance communication, coordination, and integration among supply chain stakeholders. These tools are essential for enhancing transparency, efficiency, and traceability within complex supply chain networks,...

The widespread adoption of distributed energy resources poses challenges to the operation and management of electricity grids. The intrinsic characteristics of such resources, such as variability and dispatchability, require increased flexibility in power systems. Demand-side flexibility is...

Blockchain technology is being increasingly deployed to store and process transactions and information in the global financial sector. Blockchain underpins cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and facilitates decentralized finance (DeFi), representing a paradigm shift in the global financial...

Background: The increasing complexity of global supply chains has intensified the demand for transparency, traceability, security, and sustainability in logistics and operations. Blockchain technology enables decentralized, immutable frameworks that improve data integrity, automate transactions...

The paper discusses the functions and the potential of stablecoins as an innovative payment system: Stablecoins constitute a new payment object which can be used for a direct exchange on the infrastructures provided by blockchains and crypto exchanges. For the discussion of stablecoins It is...

In the context of rapid advancements in financial technologies and the evolving demand of the digital economy, this study explores the transformative impact of FinTech and artificial intelligence (AI) on the banking sector, with a particular focus on payment systems. By examining innovative...

Through its multiple applications such as traceability and optimization of the food supply chain, achieving food safety and reducing food waste or implementing smart contracts, blockchain technology is proving its usefulness in the food processing and distribution industry. Stimulated by the...

Since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has become a market disruptor due to its primary function as a virtual currency supported by blockchain technology and the high volume of economic transactions it facilitates. This article examines the key theoretical principles that have contributed to...

The relevance of research on digital financial instruments was determined by their online functioning and the ability to instantly carry out transactions and settlements, to be economical and accessible in use. Therefore, the identification of their features and substantiation of priority areas...

Objective: The objective of the article is to investigate the association between FinTech literacy and the intention to become digital entrepreneurs utilizing the social cognitive career theory (SCCT). Specifically, it sheds light on how three aspects of FinTech literacy (crowdfunding,...

In a digitalized business, blockchain technology, fintech, AI, and IT governance are crucial for reducing risks and aligning with organizational goals. IT governance ensures smooth and efficient adoption of fintech solutions and AI. Blockchain introduces trust and security through smart...

One of the most significant recent developments in the debt financing sector pertains to new products and standards applicable to sustainability-related issues. Therefore, research on this has increased substantially. One of the most recent such developments is that of sustainability-linked...

This study proposes a novel approach to improve the reliability of trading signals for gold market prediction by integrating technical analysis indicators, Moving Averages (MAs), MACD, and Ichimoku Cloud, with a Particle Swarm-Optimized Extreme Learning Machine (PSO-ELM). Traditional time-series...