"Amanda, did you read the latest news?"

"What news, sister?"

"They broke the Exchange where you have your cryptos!"

"What are you saying?" She shouted in a huff while manipulating the screen of her smartphone with glee.

Amanda followed the advice of Michael, the family crypto trader, despite Sophie's objections.

"I told you, sis! I didn't understand your attitude; you took an unnecessary risk on that platform.

"Shut up!" She felt the blood boiling on her face and shortness of breath until everything around her: went dark.

Michael left the room and peeked out from the upper floor to find out what all the fuss was about.

"Come down, boy! Help me with Amanda!"

So, he soon ran to help.

"Mom, what's wrong with my aunt?"

"Can't you see she's fainted! Come on, help me get her up!"

Mother and son carefully took her by her hands and feet, lifting her up with difficulty. Amanda was a little overweight and staggering. They let her fall on the wide sofa.

"Mom, tell me what happened."

"It's your fault!"

"Me!" The boy answered in surprise.

"Yes, you."

"How? I don't understand."

"Why did you put those crazy ideas in his head about Internet money?"

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Your aunt just lost her retirement savings in the Exchange that went bankrupt!"

"No way!" The boy put both hands to his head and turned away.

"Son, I told you those are scams."

Michael was silent for a while. He was absorbed in thinking about how his aunt Amanda had trusted the Exchange. On several occasions, she told him how these institutions worked, which he considered a necessary evil as long as there was no mass adoption and paradigm shift.

"Mom, cryptos are not scams. Well! Some are. Before investing in a crypto project, one should research its fundamentals."

"Of course, these are scams!" Sophie answered indignantly.

"Mommy, let me explain for the umpteenth time."

Silence briefly reigned in the living room until Amanda mumbled some unintelligible words.

Mother and son approached her and called her name. But she continued to sleep. Disconnected from reality.

So, they let her rest, and both walked (in silence) to the kitchen area. Sophie looked in the cupboard, in one of the containers, for some leaves that she then placed in the small pot half-filled with water, making it boil on a low flame on the back left burner of the stove.

"Michael, you're a fool!"

"Don't start that again, Mom. I'm not stupid at all!

"I hope you didn't bet your savings too."

"Mother. I don't gamble. I invest."

"Yes, of course!" "Look in your aunt's mirror!"

"Mother!"

Suddenly, Amanda came into the kitchen, still sleepy, and when she saw her nephew, she looked him straight in the eyes.

"Tell me we didn't lose everything!"

"I don't understand how you can still trust a centralized Exchange!"

Michael turned his back on her and walked back to his room, but not before telling her that he would be back. So the sisters were stunned by the uncertainty.

"Amanda, come on. Drink tea from these leaves, a recipe recommended by my neighbor."

"Do you trust the neighbor?"

"As much as you trust, Michael. She is a botanist, but Michael did not study cryptocurrencies anywhere."

"Sophie! Amanda exclaimed, looking at her in bewilderment."

"I'm very sorry for your losses. That's what you get for trusting digital money not backed by the government or the bank."

"Tell me, Michael, did she tell you about I lost my savings?"

"No, dear. But I suspect that Michael bet it all."

Amanda looked at her as she carefully sipped the steaming tea from the white cup.

Michael was back, holding in his right hand; a small metallic device similar to a Pendrive but with a tiny screen and button panel.

"Aunt. Here are your savings. Who told you that you had lost it?"

"Your mother!" Amanda answered, giving Sophie a withering look.

"I thought so!" Sophie said sadly.

"You better not think like that and start trusting your son more!"

"That's enough! It was all a misunderstanding. -Said Michael, adding, "Something key in the cryptographic world is that you own the private keys of your accounts. A Centralized Exchange is like a traditional Bank. I am very sorry for the losses of those who entrusted the custody of their money there. The problem with banks and centralized exchanges is that you are exposed to good or bad management of their administrators. I think. Who can take better care of your money than you."

"Nephew, I trust you."

"Well, aunt! I think that with this experience. You are now ready to take full control of your wallet. You know! I will always be at your disposal to help you in this new emerging economy."

"Sophie, I hope you also learn something about the crypto market from your son. Besides being intelligent, he is honest and reliable."

That day, Sophie received her first class.