No abstract

In modern conditions, the agricultural sector is one of the most risky branches of economy. Every year, farmers face significant losses due to various natural disasters, diseases and other factors that negatively affect their productivity. That is why insurance has become one of the most important tools that help farmers reduce their risks and maintain stability in the industry. However, in order for the insurance to be effective, it is necessary to choose the right insurance product and the company that provides such services. This is where insurance brokers come to the rescue, having the necessary knowledge and experience to help clients find the best solutions. One of the main functional roles of an insurance broker in the agricultural insurance market is to help clients choose an insurance product. Brokers must be familiar with all types of insurance that exist in the market and have an understanding of their advantages and disadvantages. They must be ready to provide clients with professional advice and recommendations on choosing the optimal insurance product, taking into account the specifics of business and the risks that may arise. In addition, insurance brokers play an important role in interaction with insurance companies. They should have a good relationship with the leading insurance companies and be aware of their offers and terms. This allows brokers to find the best conditions for their clients and negotiate optimal insurance conditions. Also, insurance brokers provide their clients with professional support and consulting throughout the entire insurance period. They help with the preparation of documents, conduct negotiations with insurers, ensure compliance with the terms of the insurance contract, help resolve disputes and other problems. In addition, insurance brokers play an important role in improving the agricultural insurance system as a whole. They provide insurance companies with feedback on customer reactions to insurance products and conditions, which allows them to improve and adapt them to customer needs. So, we can conclude that insurance brokers play an important role in the agricultural insurance market. They help clients find the best insurance products, provide them with professional support and advice, and contribute to the improvement of the insurance system as a whole. Therefore, choosing an insurance broker in the agricultural insurance market is an important step for farmers and other participants in this industry.

Сучасна економіка стрімко розвиває свою віртуальну сферу, зростає роль цифрових технологій у реальному секторі. Хоча криптоактиви існують тільки у цифровому форматі, вони можуть стати фінансовим інструментом, який сьогодні необхідний суспільству. Розвиток економіки та цифрових технологій призвів до появи нової групи об'єктів, яка називається "віртуальні активи". Криптоактиви – це приклад таких об'єктів, які мають відсутність матеріальної форми та самостійну майнову цінність, що створюється за допомогою інформаційних технологій та блокчейн-системи. На сьогодні, криптоактиви не можна використовувати як офіційні гроші, валюту, платіжний засіб, електронні гроші або цінні папери. Проте все більше компаній використовують їх у своїй діяльності. Торговельні підприємства не мають юридичного зобов'язання приймати криптоактиви як засоби платежу, але їх використання несе ризики, такі як значні цінові коливання та можливість шахрайства. Фізичні та юридичні особи повинні усвідомлювати ці ризики перед здійсненням операцій з криптоактивами. Також, низький рівень освіченості населення у цій сфері становить велику проблему.

Purpose – to reveal prerequisites of technology-enabled banking development in Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine; to identify if digitalization was a beneficial factor in households deposits-raising during the COVID-19. Research methodology is twofold: analysis of digitalization index based on World Bank data as a premise of tech-nology-enabled banks development; beta-coefficient analysis and descriptive statistics – for digitalization influence assessment. Findings – digitalization index analysis showed that Lithuania has a more generous benefit in terms of digitalization. Poland and Ukraine follow with a slight gap. Traditional banks of analyzed countries are acting towards digitalization but at different paces. There are both digital and neobanks in Lithuania and Poland, while in Ukraine only digital banks. Analysis of Ukrainian banks deposits highlighted the fact that digital banks were in some cases more preferable for households, especially during a pandemic. Research limitations – lack of data: common digitalization indexes could not be calculated for Ukraine; differences in countries’ banking data: content and structuring criteria. Practical implications – the results could be important for policy recommendations to tackle the blind spots of banking digitalization. Originality/Value – suggested digitalization index could be utilized as a universal. Due to DESI limitations, common for EU countries, we were to create our own index and compare results with calculated by European Commission DESI values. While DESI is calculated using some specific survey data, the proposed index is using standardized data of World Bank; the results of digital and traditional banks deposits comparison could be useful for further study.