# Who controls what (/invest/who-controls-what)

You control the shares in your wallet and sign your own deposits and withdrawal requests. A vault's manager and executor make investment decisions within the powers allowed by its program. A guardian can restrict operations during a problem.

## The people and programs involved [#the-people-and-programs-involved]

In these docs, **manager** or **curator** describes the person or organisation running a strategy. **Admin** is the specific on-chain role that configures the vault. A curator's name alone does not prove which wallet holds that role.

<AuthorityMap />

The core program checks instructions and keeps the accounts. It can still have bugs, and its upgrade authority is separate from the vault's ordinary roles.

Anyone can submit certain maintenance instructions, such as refreshing values, funding an eligible withdrawal from idle cash or executing a matured change. Those instructions still enforce their conditions. Public submission does not grant unrestricted control.

## The backend does not sign [#the-backend-does-not-sign]

Akashi's backend reads data and builds unsigned instructions. Your wallet signs user transactions. The vault executor is a separate service with its own key and bounded vault permissions.

Connecting a wallet does not spend funds. A request to sign a login message is also different from a transaction. [Wallets and transactions](/akashi/wallets-and-transactions) explains how to tell them apart.

## What can change [#what-can-change]

The admin can queue supported changes to settings, roles and positions. Changes that increase permitted risk generally wait for the relevant on-chain delay. Some immediate actions can lower limits, stop new allocations or pause funding. The guardian can impose restrictions, but cannot unpause operations or raise limits.

A change delay gives you notice. It does not guarantee enough time to complete an exit if liquidity, coverage or incident restrictions are in the way. Read [governance and permissions](/invest/advanced/governance-and-permissions) for the details.

## What happens if the site disappears [#what-happens-if-the-site-disappears]

On-chain accounts remain, but you still need a way to submit valid instructions. Another interface cannot bypass the vault's coverage, liquidity, pause or state rules. Holding vault shares does not give you direct personal ownership of each underlying position.

For direct positions opened through Discover, the ownership path differs. See [direct deposits and withdrawals](/akashi/deposit-and-withdraw). Operators can use the detailed [roles and authority reference](/curators/roles-and-authority).