The evolution of decentralized business models (DBMs) has fundamentally transformed the global economic landscape, shifting from its initial cryptocurrency-centric origins to a wide array of diverse industrial applications. This study aims to comprehensively map emerging research trends and identify critical knowledge gaps in the field of decentralized business during the current blockchain era. Employing a rigorous Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis through the PRISMA framework, a total of 142 eligible documents retrieved from the Scopus database (covering the period 2017–2023) were meticulously analyzed. The findings reveal three distinct evolutionary phases: the initiation phase (2017–2018), stable development (2019–2021), and a recent period of rapid acceleration (2022–2023). Detailed keyword clustering identifies Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Smart Contracts, and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) as the dominant thematic pillars of current academic discourse. Geographically, a "triad" of global leaders consisting of China, the United States, and India dominates the majority of the published research. Despite this rapid growth, significant challenges persist, particularly regarding network scalability, complex regulatory frameworks, and domain-specific security vulnerabilities. This study provides a strategic roadmap for future research, emphasizing the necessary convergence of blockchain technology with the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to foster more automated, transparent, and secure industrial ecosystems for the future global economy.