Blockchain Forensics: A Systematic Literature Review of Techniques, Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions

Abstract

Blockchain technology has gained significant attention in recent years for its potential to revolutionize various sectors, including finance, supply chain management, and digital forensics. While blockchain’s decentralization enhances security, it complicates the identification and tracking of illegal activities, making it challenging to link blockchain addresses to real-world identities. Also, although immutability protects against tampering, it introduces challenges for forensic investigations as it prevents the modification or deletion of evidence, even if it is fraudulent. Hence, this paper provides a systematic literature review and examination of state-of-the-art studies in blockchain forensics to offer a comprehensive understanding of the topic. This paper provides a comprehensive investigation of the fundamental principles of blockchain forensics, exploring various techniques and applications for conducting digital forensic investigations in blockchain. Based on the selected search strategy, 46 articles (out of 672) were chosen for closer examination. The contributions of these articles were discussed and summarized, highlighting their strengths and limitations. This paper examines the selected papers to identify diverse digital forensic frameworks and methodologies used in blockchain forensics, as well as how blockchain-based forensic solutions have enhanced forensic investigations. In addition, this paper discusses the common applications of blockchain-based forensic frameworks and examines the associated legal and regulatory challenges encountered in conducting a forensic investigation within blockchain systems. Open issues and future research directions of blockchain forensics were also discussed. This paper provides significant value for researchers, digital forensic practitioners, and investigators by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date review of existing research and identifying key challenges and opportunities related to blockchain forensics.