Litecoin is one of the oldest and most established cryptocurrencies, launched in 2011 as a faster and lighter alternative to Bitcoin. Often referred to as the "silver to Bitcoin's gold," Litecoin offers quicker transaction confirmations and lower fees while maintaining a strong track record of security and reliability. LTC is the native cryptocurrency of the Litecoin network, used to send payments globally, pay transaction fees, and store value.
— Deep Dive
Litecoin was created by Charlie Lee, a former Google engineer, and launched in October 2011. It was designed as a complement to Bitcoin — keeping the same core principles of decentralization and security, but optimized for speed and everyday usability.
Litecoin shares many technical similarities with Bitcoin but introduces key improvements:
Litecoin uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm instead of Bitcoin's SHA-256. It can also be merge-mined with Dogecoin, allowing miners to secure both networks simultaneously.
Litecoin generates a new block every 2.5 minutes — four times faster than Bitcoin — making it better suited for day-to-day payments.
Litecoin has a maximum supply of 84 million coins — four times Bitcoin's cap. New LTC is issued through mining, with the reward halving approximately every four years.
Thanks to its speed and low cost, Litecoin is commonly used for:
Fast Payments Value Transfer Crypto Trading ATM Withdrawals Merchant Payments Store of Value
— The Currency
LTC is the native cryptocurrency of the Litecoin network — fast, affordable, and battle-tested since 2011.
LTC is used to pay the minimal fees required to send transactions on the Litecoin network — typically just fractions of a cent.
With fast confirmations and low fees, LTC is well-suited for purchasing goods and services both online and in-store.
LTC is available on virtually every major cryptocurrency exchange and is frequently used as a trading pair alongside Bitcoin and stablecoins.
Send LTC anywhere in the world within minutes — without banks, borders, or intermediaries — at a fraction of traditional wire transfer costs.