Automated accounting and auditing in the platform of blockchain technology

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to enhance the body of knowledge and forecast the future of accounting and auditing. In this regard, it is essential to comprehend the nature, structure and efficacious capabilities of blockchain technology in accounting and auditing to achieve this goal. Furthermore, it is imperative to ascertain the efficacious and affected relationships and factors of this technology to gain insight into and accurately analyses the current situation, and to identify effective strategic factors in the development, improvement of performance and future changes of accounting and auditing.Design/methodology/approachIn accordance with contemporary methodologies employed in the analysis of future-oriented technology (FTA), this research has undertaken a comprehensive examination of the extant literature on the subject, delineating the principles of automatic accounting and auditing in the context of blockchain technology. The descriptive-exploratory approach within the event approach has been employed to elucidate the pertinent issues. To achieve this objective, the researchers adopted a systemic and philosophical approach with a mixed methodology. This involved conducting an environmental scan and content analysis of the collected resources to elucidate the structures, paradigms and prospective transformations. The results of this review were presented in the form of a semi-structured internet questionnaire and the opinions of 35 international experts on the topics covered in 2023 were sought. The experts were selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. The survey data were subjected to analysis using the Fuzzy Delphi method. To substantiate or refute the hypothesis of automated accounting and auditing in the blockchain technology platform, the precision of the research outcomes was evaluated through the lens of the linear regression method, the Automatic Linear Modeling (ALM) method, the Support Vector Machine (SVMs) method and the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The software used was ATLAS.ti, Excel, SPSS, Python and SmartPLS.FindingsThe findings of this multi-faceted study, with an accuracy of over 91%, demonstrate that accounting and auditing will be automated on the blockchain platform. The occurrence of this phenomenon will be influenced to a significant degree by technical factors, as well as the perceived usefulness and ease of this automated system.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations and challenges of this study include the novelty of the topic and the interdisciplinary method used, the international scope of the research and the lack of more expert participation in the survey. It is recommended that these factors are taken into account in future research efforts, along with other relevant considerations for future research.Practical implicationsThe features, alterations and potentialities that automated accounting and auditing bestow upon the blockchain platform collectively merit further investigation.Originality/valueThis research employs a novel, forward-thinking and integrative approach to investigate the subject matter. This method can be employed as a policy and even a systematic model for integrating the comprehension of concepts, foundations, processes and norms in future studies and future research methods. In this regard, the micro and macro issues raised regarding the past and future can serve as a valuable source for understanding different aspects, facilitating the comprehension of concepts and elucidating relationships.