What is Litecoin?

According to the Litecoin (LTC) website, “Litecoin is a peer-to-peer Internet currency that enables instant, near-zero cost payments to anyone in the world.” If you’re familiar with Bitcoin, this definition might sound similar. That’s because Litecoin is based on Bitcoin’s open source codebase, but with a few technological differences.

Litecoin was created as a fork of Bitcoin in 2011. A fork happens whenever a community makes a change to the blockchain's protocol, or basic set of rules. Forks create a second blockchain that shares all of its history with the original, but is headed off in a new direction. So what’s the difference? Litecoin branched off from Bitcoin to test new innovations, including a different proof of work mining algorithm. The digital asset also aims to offer faster transaction times and lower costs than Bitcoin.

What is Litecoin used for?

Like Bitcoin, Litecoin is a digital currency, which can be used to buy things at places where it’s accepted, and to transfer funds between accounts.  

What’s the difference between Litecoin and Bitcoin?

As a fork of Bitcoin, Litecoin did not aim to change the fundamental logic or architecture – being nearly identical to Bitcoin in terms of use and design — but with a reduced transaction confirmation time and much lower cost (as much as 50 times lower, depending on market conditions). 

Litecoin’s speed and relatively low fees make it appealing as a payment option and means of transferring value, but the network has significantly fewer miners than Bitcoin, which could have an impact on the overall security of the network.

How many Litecoins are there?

Like Bitcoin, Litecoin has a fixed supply: there will only ever be 84 million LTC. 

How do you mine Litecoin?

Specialized computers known as ‘mining rigs’ perform the equations required to verify and record a new Litecoin transaction. In the early days, a typical desktop PC was powerful enough to participate, which allowed pretty much anyone who was curious to try their hand at mining. 

These days the computers required are massive, specialized, and often owned by businesses or large numbers of individuals pooling their resources. 

Where can I buy Litecoin?

You can buy Litecoin through several crypto exchanges, including Coinbase. 

Released: October 2011