u/Temporary-Record8381

This might be a dumb question but honestly this is the part of crypto security that still messes with my head.

I understand the basic stuff:

• don’t type seed anywhere

• don’t store seed in cloud

• don’t sign random garbage

• don’t connect Ledger to shady sites

• use a separate hot wallet for degen stuff

• test with small amounts first

Fine.

But then you get to the actual “using crypto” part and suddenly the wallet is asking you to approve/sign something that looks like alien language.

And that’s where I don’t feel safe anymore.

Not because Ledger is bad. Ledger is doing what it’s supposed to do. The keys are protected.

But I’m still the idiot pressing approve on something I barely understand.

Like if I’m staking, delegating, setting a proxy, approving some permission, interacting with a dapp, whatever… how am I supposed to know what exactly I’m allowing?

The thing I’m trying to understand is:

If my Ledger is disconnected after signing something, can that signed permission/proxy/approval still do anything later?

Or is every later action still needing another confirmation from the Ledger?

For example, I’ve been reading about TAO/Bittensor staking and some apps use proxy-style permissions where the idea is that the proxy can do limited staking/allocation actions but can’t move funds out of your wallet. Mentat explains it that way too, proxy can buy/sell subnet positions from your account but not transfer TAO outside it.

That sounds safer than sending funds to some random vault, but I still want to understand the actual security model before touching anything.

So I guess my questions are:

1. What’s the real difference between an approval, a delegation, and a proxy?

2. Can any of those drain funds later without the Ledger being connected?

3. How do you check what permissions are currently active?

4. How do you revoke them?

5. Is there a good habit here besides “don’t sign what you don’t understand,” because tbh most normal people don’t understand 90% of what wallets show them

Not trying to spread panic. I’m just realizing “hardware wallet = safe” is only half the story.

The other half is “the human holding it should not be blindly approving hieroglyphics.”

doing the math for renting fridge + washing machine + table for 6-9 months. monthly rent looks okay, but early closure / pickup / damage / relocation fees can change everything. has anyone calculated the real total cost before renting? which charges should i check before booking?