Shastri Singh

Deputy Head - VASP & Fintech Innovation Unit

Effective 1 June 2025, Shastri was appointed Deputy Head of the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) & Fintech Innovation Unit at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), where she plays a pivotal role in steering strategic development and regulatory oversight of digital assets and fintech innovation. In this capacity, she co-leads the development of national policy direction, legislative enhancements, and risk-based supervisory frameworks for VASPs—ensuring regulatory integrity while supporting responsible innovation.

Prior to this appointment, Shastri served as Chief Analyst in the same unit, where she led several transformative regulatory initiatives. These included the design and implementation of CIMA’s VASP registration and supervisory frameworks, the drafting of legislative proposals in collaboration with the Ministry of Financial Services, and the development of the Authority’s inaugural onsite and offsite inspection programmes for VASPs. She also led technical input and presentations on behalf of the Cayman Islands for the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) VASP Risk Trends and Methods Report, which was formally adopted by the regional body in 2022.

Her earlier roles at CIMA include serving as a Senior Analyst in the Anti-Money Laundering Division, where she contributed to Travel Rule compliance guidance, AML policy reform, and participated in the planning, coordinating and conducting of onsite examinations.

Before joining CIMA, Shastri spent over 14 years at the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, where she held several key positions, including Acting Senior Examiner. In this capacity, she played a central role in a range of national and cross-border regulatory initiatives, such as the implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Basel compliance, and the establishment of supervisory frameworks for systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs). She also led AML/CFT supervisory reviews and spearheaded capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening regulatory effectiveness across the financial sector.

A recognised expert in digital assets and crypto risk management, Shastri regularly represents CIMA at prominent industry forums such as GAIM Ops and ACAMS Symposiums. She has also addressed key regional bodies including the Caribbean Group of Banking Supervisors, reinforcing her role as a regional thought leader in regulatory compliance. Her passion for knowledge-sharing and public education is reflected in her ongoing role as a volunteer lecturer in business and blockchain technologies.

Shastri holds an MBA, a BA (Hons) in Business Administration, and several specialised certifications in blockchain, cryptocurrency auditing, and digital asset-related financial crime risk. She is a Certified Expert in Digital Finance and a Certified Fintech Practitioner, combining academic depth with hands-on leadership in the evolving landscape of digital finance. She is widely regarded as a thought leader in the regulation of emerging financial technologies and the virtual asset sector.