Overview
Litecoin (LTC) was created in 2011 by Charlie Lee, a former Google engineer. It is based on Bitcoin’s code and was described as “silver to Bitcoin’s gold”: a faster, cheaper version for everyday payments.
Litecoin has run for over a decade with very few problems, and is listed on almost every exchange and accepted by many payment services.
How it works
- Proof of work, like Bitcoin, using a different algorithm (Scrypt). Litecoin is merge-mined with Dogecoin.
- A new block every 2.5 minutes (Bitcoin: 10), and fees usually under a cent.
- MWEB (MimbleWimble Extension Blocks), added in 2022, lets users make private transactions optionally.
- LitVM, an Ethereum-compatible Layer 2 for Litecoin, was in testing in 2026.
The LTC token
| LTC at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | 84 million LTC |
| In circulation (Oct 2026) | about 77.8 million |
| Price (29 Oct 2026) | about $58 |
| All-time high | about $410 (May 2021) |
| Market cap | about $4.5 billion (#25) |
Like Bitcoin, Litecoin halves its block reward about every four years; the last halving was in August 2023, and the next is expected in 2027.
Canary’s spot Litecoin ETF (LTCC) started trading in October 2025, but by mid-2026 it held only about $5 million. Some listed companies, such as LiteStrategy, hold LTC as a treasury asset.
Risks
- Little that’s unique. Many chains now offer cheap payments, and stablecoins dominate crypto payments.
- Weak ETF demand. Institutional interest has been small so far.
- MWEB bug. In April 2026, a bug in MWEB caused a 13-block reorganization; it was fixed in May 2026.
- Volatility. LTC fell from about $136 to about $45 over the year to May 2026.
Litecoin vs. the competition
| Litecoin | Bitcoin | Bitcoin Cash | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2011 | 2009 | 2017 |
| Block time | 2.5 minutes | 10 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Supply | 84 million | 21 million | 21 million |
| Privacy option | Yes (MWEB) | No | No |
Our verdict
Litecoin is a dependable veteran: cheap, fast, simple and widely accepted, with a fixed supply and an ETF.
But it has struggled to find a unique role, and investor interest is fading. LTC is a high-risk investment: invest only what you can afford to lose.
This review is for information only and is not financial advice.