What compliance functions can ACA support through Managed Services?

AML due diligence, sanctions screening, marketing review, and core compliance task execution.

Can ACA help firms manage global AML onboarding and screening requirements?

Yes—covering due diligence, onboarding, screening, and monitoring to meet global AML standards.

How does ACA support Marketing and Financial Promotions review?

By reviewing pitchbooks, emails, and other content for SEC, FCA, and ESMA compliance.

What is included in core compliance task outsourcing?

Regulatory calendar execution, compliance tracking, policy reviews, and flexible staffing.

Can ACA provide temporary compliance staff or secondments?

Yes—short-term and ongoing secondments to fill key compliance roles.

How do firms maintain control while outsourcing compliance tasks?

Firms retain final oversight and decision-making while ACA executes tasks per their policies.

What systems does ACA use to deliver its services?

Services run on ACA’s ComplianceAlpha ® platform or within clients’ existing systems.

Does ACA support multi-jurisdictional compliance teams?

Yes—structured to handle U.S., U.K., and EU regulatory frameworks.

How does ACA ensure consistent execution across compliance tasks?

Standardized procedures and escalation logic ensure repeatable, policy-aligned work.

Home Advisory Compliance Advisory Market Abuse Risk Framework

Market Abuse Risk Framework

A Practical, Regulator-Ready Framework for Identifying and Managing Market Abuse Risk

With growing regulatory and investor scrutiny, firms must demonstrate effective market abuse surveillance, governance, and conduct frameworks across traditional and digital asset markets.

ACA helps firms strengthen market abuse controls through advisory, managed services, and technology-enabled support aligned with the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), MiFID II, the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR), and evolving digital asset regulatory requirements.

Market abuse risk assessments and framework design
Surveillance programme reviews and optimisation
Trade surveillance and monitoring controls
Governance, conduct, and escalation frameworks
Digital asset and crypto market abuse considerations
Managed surveillance and compliance support
RegTech and surveillance technology solutions
Ongoing regulatory and conduct risk support

Looking to learn more? Schedule a consultation today.

Get more information

What’s Included in the Market Abuse Risk Framework?

ACA’s new solution delivers a structured, regulator-ready framework that brings together surveillance, conduct, and control reviews across traditional and digital asset markets. It reflects real-world insight into market abuse risks and how to manage them effectively across asset classes, trading strategies, and evolving regulatory expectations.

Comprehensive risk matrix

Maps market abuse offences, including insider trading, market manipulation, and improper disclosure, to your firm’s trading activity across asset classes.

Surveillance and control review

Evaluates preventative and detective controls, residual risks, and areas for improvement across systems, processes, and governance.

Policy and procedure review

Assesses policies and procedures for insider trading and market manipulation, including wall-crossing and information barriers, Suspicious Transaction and Order Report (STOR) procedures, expert networks, and related documentation.

Asset class coverage

Covers public and private assets, real assets such as real estate, , custom baskets, algorithmic and quantitative strategies, and digital asset trading activity.

Question bank

Generate a proprietary, evolving set of questions informed by ACA’s real-world client engagements, regulatory developments, and emerging market abuse risks.

Living framework

Receive a reusable risk assessment document with guidance on maintenance and updates with optional annual reviews available.

Ready to assess your market abuse risk?

Learn why the industry’s most well-known firms choose to partner with us. Book a consultation with one of our specialists to get started.

Why Market Abuse Risk Matters

Regulatory compliance

Meet expectations under MAR, MiFID II, and SM&CR. Adaptable to FCA’s new cryptoasset regulatory regime.

Investor confidence

Demonstrate a proactive, defensible approach to conduct and surveillance.

Operational resilience

Identify gaps and strengthen controls across trading and governance.

Audit readiness

Be prepared for regulatory scrutiny with a clear, documented risk framework.

Cross-asset coverage

Address risks across complex strategies and asset classes.

Why ACA?

Built by practitioners

Developed by experts with hands-on experience managing across the buy-side.

Efficient delivery

A focused assignment prioritizing key risks and controls, with optional support for remediation and annual reviews.

Regulatory insight

Aligned with FCA priorities and SM&CR reforms to keep your firm future-ready.

Supporting Firms Beyond Risk Identification

ACA’s Market Abuse Risk Framework is a broad suite of solutions designed to help you not only identify but also address market abuse risks.
Through the ComplianceAlpha^® regulatory technology platform, we provide integrated surveillance and monitoring capabilities that span the entire trade lifecycle.
These tools can be combined with outsourced managed services and practitioner-led advisory support. This enables firms to remediate findings, enhance governance frameworks, and maintain ongoing compliance with evolving regulatory expectations. Our end-to-end approach ensures that your firm is equipped with practical, scalable solutions tailored to your firm’s unique risk profile.

FAQs

What is a Market Abuse Risk Framework?

It’s a structured review of your firm’s exposure to market abuse risk, including controls, policies, and surveillance systems.

Who should conduct one?

Any regulated buy-side firm trading in public or private markets should conduct a Market Abuse Risk Framework assessment, including asset managers, hedge funds, private equity, and quant firms.

How often should it be updated?

Market Abuse Risk Framework assessments should be conducted at least annually or whenever there is a material change to your business such as a new asset class, strategy, or system.

Is this just a health check?

No. This is a consulting-led engagement that delivers a living, reusable risk framework, not just a review of what you already have.

How long does it take?

The assessment typically takes three to five days, depending on the complexity of your firm and the maturity of your existing controls.

How does market abuse regulation apply to cryptoassets?

As digital asset regulation evolves, firms may face increasing expectations around market conduct, surveillance, conflict management, and the identification of potentially abusive trading activity. Firms should assess whether existing controls are appropriate for the products, markets, and trading activities they support.

What market abuse risks exist in crypto markets?

Market abuse risks can include insider dealing, market manipulation, wash trading, spoofing, layering, misleading signals, and conflicts of interest. Firms should identify, assess and monitor risks based on their business model, trading activity, and exposure to digital asset markets.

Will FCA cryptoasset authorisation include market abuse requirements?

The FCA’s new cryptoasset regime includes a market abuse framework for cryptoassets, with expectations around market conduct, governance, surveillance, and systems and controls. Firms preparing for FCA authorisation should consider whether their existing market abuse controls, monitoring capabilities, and oversight frameworks are aligned with the new regime.

What happens if the assessment identifies gaps or weaknesses?

ACA offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to help firms address any findings from the Market Abuse Risk Assessment. This includes access to our ComplianceAlpha^® regulatory technology platform for trade surveillance and monitoring, outsourced managed services for ongoing compliance support, and practitioner-led advisory to guide remediation and strengthen governance frameworks. Our end-to-end approach ensures firms can move from insight to action with confidence.