2025/11/29 by F. Javier Marín-Rodríguez, Nonaka, Myriam, Marín-Rodríguez, F. Javier +10
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Blockchain Technology Applications and Security #Complex Network Analysis Techniques #Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.00437
We construct the Bitcoin User Network (BUN) directly from raw blockchain data up to late 2025, which allows us to explore its mesoscopic properties and trace its temporal evolution. In particular, we analyze the structure of connected components and directed assortativity through the four variants of Newman's coefficient, implemented via custom algorithms and a dedicated database. Building on this, to characterize the distribution of structural influence, we introduce direction-sensitive centrality measures based on PageRank and HITS, which provide a complementary global analysis of the BUN and reveal a persistently unequal and increasingly core-periphery structure. In addition, we complement the structural analysis with a study of Bitcoin's price volatility using high-frequency market data. Overall, our results reveal a clear pattern of concentration within distribution: although the protocol is decentralized by design, the emergent user network evolves toward an asymmetric mesoscopic structure that indicates the existence of a few large-scale connected components that function as the critical backbone of the system.