Journal profile · Economics, Econometrics and Finance-Economics, Econometrics and Finance (all)
Ledger
ISSN 2379-5980 · University Library System, University of Pittsburgh · United States
Ledger: CAS Zone 4 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 40 weeks (community reports); 10 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Ledger is published by University Library System, University of Pittsburgh and is in Zone 4 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Blockchain Technology Applications and Security, FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance and Cryptography and Data Security, together about 45.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Ledger was launched in 2015 to address the growing need for a traditional academic journal dedicated to cryptocurrency research. Ledger aims to encourage greater involvement by academics in cryptocurrency and foster a culture of rigorous analysis and peer-review within the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology community. It also aims to spur the aggregation and filtering of important content generated across relevant communication channels. The journal strives to serve both the general public and the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology research community through the dissemination of high-quality and timely scholarly content. Ledger is published in an open-access format by the University of Pittsburgh. Ledger publishes full-length articles describing original research in all areas related to cryptocurrencies, blockchains, and DeFi and their intersection with mathematics, computer science, engineering, law, economics, and social sciences in general. It also publishes review articles (i.e. systematic surveys of a given topic and its relevant literature), perspective pieces, and formal correspondence. Manuscripts are selected on the basis of conceptual advancement, novelty, quality of analysis, degree of interaction with ongoing scholarly discourse, and general interest to the journal’s audience. Submissions of articles related to all areas of cryptocurrency research are welcome, including (but not limited to) the following topics: Development of new cryptocurrency computer algorithms/protocols Analysis of existing cryptocurrency algorithms/protocols New cryptographic methods for cryptocurrencies Transaction analysis on public ledgers Macroeconomic studies of crypto markets Computer hardware design of new components Novel applications of cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and DeFi Legal commentary on relevant caselaw or the crypto industry Finance and the effect of decentralized ledgers on markets Socio-economic effects of blockchains Governance analysis of cryptocurrencies, blockchain or DeFi services or applications Submissions detailing technical advancements should focus on scholarly analysis and demonstrate a broader relevance than to a single application (e.g., cryptocurrency or consensus algorithm). In these cases whether the scope of the paper is broad enough for Ledger's readership will be determined based on the prevalence of the problem it aims to solve and the novelty and broader relevance of the solution's approach. Authors submitting such pape
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Economics, Econometrics and Finance-Economics, Econometrics and Finance (all)
Editor-in-chief Claudio TessonePublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 7, United Kingdom 6, Canada 4, Switzerland 4, Italy 1 (25 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Blockchain Technology Applications and SecurityComputer Science31.9%
- FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital FinanceBusiness, Management and Accounting8%
- Cryptography and Data SecurityComputer Science5.5%
- Complex Systems and Time Series AnalysisEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.9%
- Legal Cases and CommentaryMedicine4.3%
- Economic theories and modelsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.3%
- Banking stability, regulation, efficiencyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.7%
- Digital Platforms and EconomicsBusiness, Management and Accounting3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.23LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.55LetPub ·
- h-index
- 18OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 36OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.19OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 95.24%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 8LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 117 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 10 | 18 |
| 2024 | 9 | 9 | 28 |
| 2023 | 6 | 6 | 57 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2021 | 9 | 9 | 66 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 40 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 40 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Open peer review, Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY | |
| Publisher website | USD 1,500 | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Fee waivers
- USD 1,500
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 3
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- chainscience invitational articlesChainScience Invitational Articles Papers published under this section are developed from presentations given at the annual ChainScience Conference.Length not stated
- correspondenceCorrespondence Comments and criticisms on articles published in Ledger.Length not stated
- inatba blockchain horizons invitationalINATBA Blockchain Horizons Invitational Papers published under this section are developed from presentations given at the INATBA Blockchain Horizons Academic an…Length not stated
- proceedings articlesProceedings Articles Manuscripts describing original research presented at relevant conferences and symposiums.Length not stated
- research articlee, economics, social sciences, and law. Research articles are rarely shorter than 4,000 words, and can become unwieldy over 10,000, although longer articmain text ≤ 4,000 words
- research articlesResearch Articles Manuscripts describing original research related to cryptocurrency and its intersection with mathematics, computer science, economics, social …Length not stated
- review articleency and blockchain technology studies. Review articles should generally be under 12,000 words, although longer articles will be considered if the qualitymain text ≤ 12,000 words
- review articlesReview Articles Review articles aggregating and providing analysis of all of the relevant and latest research on a specific particular subject area within crypt…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use
AI Policy Model summary
I have read and agree to the journal's AI Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Anonymous authorship
Under extenuating circumstances, the journal may permit authors to publish under a pseudonym. Authors should include a statement describing why they wish to remain anonymous at the time of article submission. Only manuscripts where quality can be judged exclusively from the content presented in the paper, and where the scope of any conflict of interest problems would be limited (should they exist)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflicts of interest
Conflict of Interest Policy Model summary
To better ensure academic integrity and the limitation of bias in the publication, Ledger has issued a policy on conflicts of interest which can be found by clicking here or by using the drop-down menu on the main page to navigate to About > Conflicts of Interest. We expect all potential authors to have read and complied with the statement.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its age…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its content. Our publisher, the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh, abides by the Budapest Open Access Initiative definition of Open Access: “By “open access” to [peer-reviewed research literature], we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or l…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Process
Fee schedule with waivers Model summary
At Ledger, we strive to have a quick, open, and transparent peer review process, as we feel these these things are a benefit to the academic community at large. To that end, our process involves the following features: Published Peer Reviews All reviews of published submissions are published alongside the articles they helped to shape. If a paper is rejected, the authors may publish the reviews at…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
- Country or region
- United States
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2379-5980
- Official links
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Ledger
What CAS zone is Ledger in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Ledger is in Zone 4 of Economics, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Economics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
How long does peer review take at Ledger?
Authors report an average review time of about 40 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Ledger?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Suggested reviewers: Required, 3; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Ledger based?
Of the 25 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (7), United Kingdom (6) and Canada (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Ledger?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Ledger is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Ledger open access, and what is the APC?
Ledger is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .