Purpose: Cryptocurrencies put consumers at the heart of a potential revolution by shifting central authority to a distributed peer-to-peer monetary system. This study aims to perform a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis within the topic of cryptocurrencies and consumer trust.Design/methodology/approach: The Web of Science database has been selected, and the analyses performed allowed us to identify five research trends obtained from the bibliographic coupling analysis: (1) Understanding consumer's (non)acceptance of cryptocurrencies, (2) Ethical aspects and trust in cryptocurrencies, (3) Blockchain technology as a trust-free technology, (4) The blockchain/trust economy, and (5) Blockchain technology: challenging trust.Findings: Findings uncover the intellectual structure in the field of cryptocurrencies and consumers' trust and offer insights on the pros and cons of consumers' willingness to trust the digital currency.Originality/value: The study proved a great gap in the current literature in linking cryptocurrencies and trust theories in a consumer context. The authors also outline several gaps that allowed us to propose future research guidelines.

This paper aims to explore how cultural heritage knowledge leverage country branding and contribute to developing a competitive identity. More specifically, we try to understand the role of visitor experiences and the community’s engagement in this dynamic process. The study focused on Portugal’s country brand and the Portuguese cultural heritage market. Based on the content analysis of the interview scripts of public decision-makers, museum/site managers, academics, and a tourism entrepreneur, the study offers exploratory findings regarding the roles performed by public entities and other institutions and the means used to attract visitors to heritage sites and encourage the engagement of the different ‘actors’ in cultural heritage experiences. Results indicate that cultural heritage represents a dimension of country identity and a driving factor of the tourism sector for Portugal.

Purpose: This study, based on craft beer brands, aims (1) to explain the importance of four brand authenticity dimensions (continuity, originality, reliability and naturalness) in consumers' perceptions of brand image; (2) to verify if the brand–consumer emotional relationship (brand love) is enhanced by the consumer's perceptions of the brand's image; (3) to verify if the consumer's perceptions of the brand's image increase brand satisfaction; and (4) to verify if brand satisfaction increases brand love.Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from consumers of different craft beer brands to evaluate the assumptions underlying the proposed conceptual model. In total, 175 questionnaire responses were used, and the model was estimated through structural equation modelling (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS).Findings: The results confirmed that brand authenticity is a strong antecedent of the brand image of craft beers, and that brand image affects both consumer brand satisfaction and brand love. The effect of brand satisfaction on brand love has also been confirmed. Craft beer brands should aim to attract more fan-consumers, i.e. consumers who seek an emotional relationship that manifests itself in affection, beauty, well-being and long-term commitment. Fan-consumers give their hearts/love and recommend the brand.Originality/value: The paper tries to fill two gaps in the literature. First, we make the initial empirical application of the Bruhnet al.(2012) scale and verify its adequacy in this context. Second, this is the first time that the model's design has been validated. The results allow us to confirm that authenticity is an antecedent of brand image, and its simultaneous impact on the consumer's brand love for, and satisfaction with, craft beer brands.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the implicit and explicit attitudes of Generation Z (Gen Z) individuals toward the experience of visiting and getting to know traditional or virtual museums.Design/methodology/approach: Two studies were conducted. The first study assesses the implicit attitudes of Gen Z individuals through Implicit Association Tests (IAT) toward the experience of visiting traditional versus virtual museums. Considering the results of the study one, the second study proposes and validates a conceptual model through PLS-SEM approach about the explicit attitudes of this generation toward virtual museums.Findings: In the first study, it was found that virtual museums are more successful at engaging and immersing participants than traditional museums for Gen Z. The second study emphasized the significance of meeting Gen Z expectations and ensuring effortless access to information in virtual experiences as this can lead to increased satisfaction and inspiration among this generation.Originality/value: The originality of this study lies in its focus on Gen Z's attitudes toward virtual museums and the use of both implicit and explicit attitude measures to gain a comprehensive understanding of these attitudes. An interesting aspect emerges from the implicit attitudes displayed by Gen Z, indicating their preference for virtual museums as more captivating compared to traditional ones.