It cannot be lost or stolen. An ECO exists only within the LETS accounting system. Here it passes from account to account, as members trade with each. All LETS accounts start with a zero balance. Credit represents energy and time put into the community, a debit is a commitment to make some time or goods available at some future date.
Accounts fluctuate happily between debit and credit as trading continues.
LETS allows people to realize the abundance which is theirs and to meet their daily needs with little or no cash. A negative balance means that ECOS have been issued to others, not borrowed from them. No individual is waiting to be paid up and no one has any claim to anyone else's assets. There is no interest on credit balances, and no interest is charged on negative accounts. Regular meetings are open to all members.