> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.usecanopic.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.usecanopic.com/compliance/legal-structure.md).

# Legal structure

The legal entities behind Canopic, the role of each, and the planned path for control.

Two distinct organisations back the protocol, and each has its own responsibilities.

## Canopic Foundation

Stewardship of the immutable contracts and of protocol governance sits with the foundation. It also holds the timelocked parameter multisig and the guardian, until both pass to the governance module.

## Canopic Labs

As the operating company, Canopic Labs develops and operates the platform, the quote service, the indexer and the keeper software. It employs the team and holds any licence that is required.

## Why two entities

| Goal                           | How the split achieves it                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Protecting governance          | The contracts embody non-custody and immutability. A foundation is their home so that the business pressures on the builder company never reach protocol governance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| Limiting liability             | The operating company is what users interact with, through a front-end, and it is the party that obtains licences wherever they are needed. Keeping it separate reduces the protocol's exposure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Continuity without the company | If the operating company ceased to exist, the venue would still function. Quotes from the vaults depend only on on-chain state, so they would continue, and nothing could put conditions on withdrawals. The quote service, keeper, indexer and front-end are all open source, which means any third party could take them over. Listings would slow and convenience would suffer, yet the market would carry on. |

## The path for control

**Today.** The foundation's multisig, behind a timelock, is the only route for parameter changes. Every proposal goes out publicly with a written rationale attached.

**Next.** Control of parameters transfers to a governance module. These guarantees survive the handover unchanged:

* the timelock;
* a public rationale for every change;
* zero access to user funds;
* no power to put conditions on withdrawals;
* no power to touch the outcome of an individual fill.


---

# 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.usecanopic.com/compliance/legal-structure.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_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.