The Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Trinidad and Tobago Securities Exchange Commission (TTSEC), Lystra Lucillio, says virtual assets operate beyond national borders as she underscored the importance of regional cooperation in dealing with the situation.
She told the second instalment of the TTSEC’s 2026 Industry Dialogue Series held under the theme ‘Caribbean Regulatory Cooperation in Virtual Assets and Securities Markets’ that collaboration among regulators has become even more important.
‘By sharing our experiences, strengthening partnerships and learning from one another, we can build regulatory frameworks that protect investors, preserve market integrity and support responsible innovation throughout the Caribbean,’ Lucillio told the virtual conference that brought together securities regulators and financial sector leaders from across the Caribbean to discuss the evolving regulation of virtual assets.
The virtual forum provided an opportunity for over 70 regional regulators from 11 jurisdictions to exchange experiences, share practical insights and explore opportunities for greater collaboration as jurisdictions continue developing regulatory frameworks for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). The discussions follow the proclamation of Trinidad and Tobago’s virtual assets legislation last December
Representatives from the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, Bermuda Monetary Authority, Barbados Financial Services Commission, Belize Financial Services Commission, Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, Financial Services Commission Jamaica, Turks and Caicos Islands Financial Services Commission, and the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission (ECSRC) also participated, sharing updates on legislative developments, supervisory experiences and emerging regulatory priorities.
The Dialogue featured a keynote presentation by the Financial Services Commission of Jamaica, which examined emerging international regulatory developments, evolving global standards and the importance of coordinated supervisory approaches.
Senior Director, Securities Supervisory Division at the Financial Services Commission (FSC) ofJamaica, Karene Blair, underscored the need for a robust licensing regime supported by strong Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terroris (AML/CFT) controls, ongoing stakeholder consultation and inter-agency cooperation.
Blair also stressed that, given the borderless nature of virtual assets, continued regional collaboration among Caribbean regulators is essential to strengthening supervisory effectiveness, promoting investor protection and supporting the development of consistent regulatory standards across the region.
A statement issued here said that the panel discussions focused on cross-border supervisory cooperation, AML/CFT, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, investor protection, market integrity, stablecoins, decentralised finance (DeFi), cybersecurity and the regulatory implications of emerging technologies.
The delegates acknowledged that while Caribbean jurisdictions are progressing at different stages of implementation, they face many common challenges, including rapidly evolving technologies, limited resources and the increasingly borderless nature of digital financial services.
The discussions reinforced the importance of continued collaboration, information sharing and capacity building across the region.
The TTSEC’s Director, Compliance and Inspection, Rosalind King, in her closing address encouraged participating jurisdictions to continue strengthening the relationships established through the Dialogue Series.
The Dialogue concluded with strong consensus on the need for greater regional cooperation to effectively regulate Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and address the evolving risks associated with virtual assets in the region.
TTSEC said that the Industry Dialogue Series reflects its ongoing commitment to advancing regional regulatory cooperation and that as it prepares to assume the chairmanship of the Caribbean Group of Securities Regulators (CGSR) in 2027, it remains committed to fostering collaboration, facilitating knowledge exchange and promoting high standards of regulation throughout the Caribbean.