> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lerian.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Account roles: Holders, Accounts, Aliases & Instruments

> Understand the distinct roles of Holders, Ledger Accounts, account aliases, and CRM Instruments in Midaz.

Midaz keeps the balance record, the party context, and the identifiers used to find an account separate. That separation makes each concern explicit.

## Accounts hold balances and movements

An **Account** is the Ledger record that holds balances and receives movements. It is the transactional record.

## Holders represent people or companies

A **Holder** is the CRM record for a person or company. A Holder supplies the party context that can be associated with Ledger Accounts.

## Aliases identify Accounts

An **alias** is a friendly identifier for an Account. It helps people and systems refer to an Account without using its full identifier.

## Instruments associate CRM context with Accounts

An **Instrument** is the CRM record that associates a Holder with a Ledger Account. It carries the `ledgerId` and `accountId` for that association and can hold banking details, regulatory fields, metadata, and related parties.

An Instrument is not an alias. An alias identifies an Account. An Instrument associates Holder and CRM context with a Ledger Account.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
  H["Holder<br/>(person or company)"] --> I["Instrument<br/>(CRM context)"]
  I --> ACC["Account<br/>(balance and movements)"]
  AL["Alias<br/>(friendly identifier)"] -.identifies.-> ACC
  classDef bal fill:#fff8e1,stroke:#f4b400,color:#333;
  class ACC bal;
```

## Next steps

<Note>
  **See it in Lerian**

  Explore [Accounts](/en/products/midaz/accounts) and [Instruments](/en/products/midaz/crm/alias-accounts).
</Note>