Biodiversity credits are an economic tool that is a measure of the net value added to biodiversity resulting from actions such as the conservation or restoration of species, ecosystems or natural habitats. It can be used to finance biodiversity enhancement actions through the creation and sale of biodiversity credits. In recent years, to address the funding gap for biodiversity and to halt and reverse the global loss of biodiversity, countries around the world have harnessed market forces to trade biodiversity units. This approach has not only advanced the achievement of biodiversity conservation goals but also provided new momentum for economic development. However, in China, the application of biodiversity credits is still in its early stages, and there are significant gaps in research. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the development and trends in biodiversity credit research, this paper employs CiteSpace bibliometrics to analyze the bibliometric characteristics and high-frequency keywords. We found that: (1) The annual number of publications on biodiversity credit research shows a trend of slow development (2003-2008), rapid growth (2008-2015), and fluctuating upward (2015-2023). Martine Maron and Philip Gibbons are the core authors researching in this field. Universities and non-governmental organizations (NGO) are the mainstay of research in the field of biodiversity credits. The research covers a wide range of disciplines, including environmental science, ecology, economics, geography, political science, and law. (2) Research hotspots in biodiversity credits converge on four key areas: conservation and incentive strategies, biodiversity quantification, legal policy frameworks, and research on credit banking mechanisms. The focus of research has shifted gradually from merely avoiding net loss to actively seeking net gain, transforming the use of biodiversity credits from a passive offset mechanism to an active investment instrument. (3) Designing strategies that are more in line with ecological conservation policy objectives and developing scientific and effective biodiversity credit measurement methods have become the focus of future research. Based on the results of the above analysis, exploring the practical application of biodiversity credits in the trading of ecological products and developing them into effective measures for promoting biodiversity conservation in China is indeed feasible to a certain extent. Introducing biodiversity credits in China requires first defining their conceptual scope and establishing criteria for assessing credit gains and losses, thereby defining the roles of all market participants. This will ensure that the implementation of biodiversity credits is effective and beneficial, promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the region.