> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.adcpcapital.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.adcpcapital.com/protocol/authority-model.md). # Authority Model ## Governance is not a conventional admin-upgradeable proxy ADCP's authority model is: an immutable core plus replaceable peripheral adapters plus opt-in migration — not a single admin key that can rewrite protocol behaviour at will. ## The human / protocol boundary See [Deterministic Capital](/introduction/deterministic-capital.md) for the full table. In short: identity, licensing, custody, legal enforcement, and regulatory supervision stay with accountable human institutions. Capital eligibility, collateral/credit constraints, reserve rules, and distribution formulas are enforced in code wherever they can be objectively specified in advance. ## Compliance gating An eligibility-adapter contract gates two specific, narrow actions — permanent-residual-unit vesting and senior-capital contribution — behind a fresh, positively-confirmed eligibility decision for the relevant party. Every new contribution requires its own current decision; there is no permanent grandfathering from a prior approval. Two other actions are deliberately left ungated by this mechanism: claiming an already-earned distribution, and executing a previously-authorized capital-recovery action — so a later compliance-status change can never confiscate, forfeit, or strand value a participant has already earned. ## Emergency authority's limits See [Risk and Solvency](/protocol/risk-and-solvency.md). The emergency-guardian role can only reduce risk; it cannot mint new residual supply, reorder seniority, erase liabilities, or seize assets, under any circumstance. ## Peripheral adapters Components like a specific price-oracle adapter can be swapped without touching the immutable accounting/credit core and without altering any constitutional invariant. The current pilot's specific oracle-adapter configuration is documented in [Deployment Reference](/network/deployment-reference.md). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.adcpcapital.com/protocol/authority-model.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.