To say that digital money is out in the open the former USSR are not very popular, that's to say nothing. Naturally, more or less advanced users have long mastered this topic, but this is a very insignificant part of the entire Russian-speaking Internet audience. The rest, if they have heard anything about cryptocurrencies, then all their knowledge in this area is limited to the concept of "Bitcoin", about which they have little to say clearly. What can we say about other representatives of crypto finance.

Meanwhile, more than one hundred different "coins" have already accumulated, and they continue to stubbornly multiply. It is clear that it is simply impossible to know all of them, and it is not necessary. Some of these coins fade into oblivion very quickly, others "puff" on the sly for years in anticipation of their "finest hour". We will not talk about them, they are of little interest to anyone. But it's good to know about the leaders of the crypto movement even for those who do not belong to their admirers. After all, the world is changing so rapidly, and who knows what kind of information will become relevant tomorrow.

Litecoin (Litecoin) - about the complex in simple words

This crypt on the Russian-speaking Internet, frankly, is not a "prima", although it has a very large audience of interested users in the world, it occupies the row next to Bitcoin in popularity (and this is the second position among all cryptocurrencies) and is the fourth in terms of capitalization.

In the development of Litecoin, the same technology was used as in the development of the cue ball, but it cannot be called an analogue of BTC. Rather, it is an evolved model of the world's main cryptocurrency. By and large, a lot of digital money based on the Bitcoin code has been created and continues to be created (after all, the code is open and anyone can use it). But far from all attempts became successful, and only a few managed to show such results, as Litecoin showed.

At its core, the system of this crypt is somewhat similar to the well-known Torrent, in the sense that computers with installed program (LTC wallet) a single network is formed, the participants of which can freely exchange electronic money within this network, and on the basis of complete anonymity and decentralization.

The name of the "parent" of the cue ball is still unknown. They say that this is a certain Satoshi Nakamoto, but who this person or is this a whole group of people remains a mystery. Litecoin has a completely official developer, a real person named Charles Lee. This is a San Francisco resident, a programmer, a former Google employee now at Coinbase.

Charles Lee revealed his project to the world in mid-October 2011. The TSA community strongly supported this step. A year and a half later (in April 2013), the currency was universally recognized, it was called "digital silver" because of the silver color of its coins (Bitcoin is gold), capitalization and the rate went up sharply, which was the basis for Litecoin to enter the number best digital currencies. For the adherents of the crypt, this development of events turned out to be very useful, they had a worthy replacement in case the cue ball devalued.

However, only about a year passed and the new currency began to have problems. The complexity of the block began to grow, and the reward for its generation, on the contrary, went down sharply. Miners, who liked this state of affairs less and less, stopped mining LTC en masse, capitalization fell, and the coin moved 2 positions lower in this indicator (from second place to fourth).

We have already written that Litecoin is developed on the basis of the Bitcoin code, which means that they simply cannot but be at least somewhat similar to each other. And for those users who are not alien to the world of digital money, these common sides are obvious.

First of all, it is, of course, the anonymity of transactions. Determining who sent funds and to whom is an almost impossible task. The second common feature is the gradual increase in the value of coins (deflation), due to the limited number of units of one and the other currency. Add to this the high speed of movement of money (transfers) and their decentralization, or, in other words, the lack of control by a single center.

But the new money would not make sense if it did not carry a number of improvements and changes that distinguish it from its predecessor.

Both cryptocurrencies have a limited number of coins to create, but LTC will be issued 4 times more. The difficulty of generating Litecoin blocks is recalculated much faster (once every 3.5 days) and each block is created faster, in just 2.5 minutes, versus 4 times longer for the cue ball. Thanks to this, transaction confirmation is also obtained in a shorter time frame.

The coins differ in the reward for each block created, as well as in the fact that the generation of LTC on video cards is less efficient compared to mining on a processor than Bitcoin. There are still some technical differences, but this is perhaps already for specialists. They will say little to an ordinary user, and they are unlikely to be of interest.

What is the coming day for us or what are the prospects for Litecoin?

We do not want to be bad forecasters, so we will not dwell on this topic especially, since this is a thankless task. The chances of the currency, as they say, are 50 to 50. On the one hand, it has a deflationary model, and this indicates a gradual emergence of a deficit and, as a result, a rise in the price of the crypt. However, due to a number of problems that have arisen in this development of further events, some doubts arise.

Although it should be noted that LTC still holds its place in the top five virtual money and its prospects are quite optimistic. If over time its capitalization goes up again, then after it the value will rise. And there are all the prerequisites for such a scenario.

From a story about the nature of this crypt, let's move on to questions regarding its earnings. After all, this is money and you need to be able to earn it. To start, as in most similar cases, you need to register the appropriate virtual "wallet".

As for the wallet, there are 2 options that you can use:

1. "Purse" can be downloaded from the cryptocurrency website and installed on your computer. If you go this way, then you need to consider a couple important points... At first, forgotten password cannot be restored in any way, so do not rely on your memory and fix it somewhere. And, secondly, after downloading, your hard disk will have much less free space - the client program is quite voluminous.
2. Due to these inconveniences, many users prefer the online wallet option. In this case, access to the vault will be possible from anywhere in the world and from any mobile device, the main thing is that you can connect to the world wide web.

Replenishment of the wallet can be done either through exchange services, or through a reliable Forex broker or through crypto exchanges. Let's consider each option in more detail:

1. Exchangers. This is the most convenient and easiest way to acquire LTC. The main attention should be paid to the choice of a suitable exchange rate, and for this it is logical to use the exchange monitoring service. In general, the whole procedure is quite simple.

Go to the monitoring service, select Litecoin and the currency for exchange in the presented table, after which you will be presented with suitable exchange offices with exchange rate data. It remains only to switch to one of them and do your job.

1. Forex broker. Exchange (buy or sell) through a Forex broker is somewhat more complicated than the procedure described above. The first and, perhaps, the main thing is the choice of a reliable bona fide broker. If you have coped with this task, then go to the resource, register personal Area and open a trade balance, after replenishing which you can proceed directly to the exchange.
2. Crypto exchanges. In this case, it is also worth starting with the choice of a suitable service. Then registration on the exchange, balance replenishment and purchase / sale. The method is also less convenient than working through exchangers, but in the end, of course, it's up to you to choose.

In the event that you have chosen an online wallet (for example, Exmo), then you can perform exchange operations directly through this resource, you just have to click on "exchange" or "replenish". You will not have any problems with transferring currency from one purse to another. After clicking on "withdraw" opposite Litecoin, you must enter the details of the recipient's wallet and the amount in the appropriate field, and then confirm the operation.

For those users who are interested in the described crypt, we want to present several ways to earn it:

1. Extraction (mining). Just like the cue ball, Litecoin can be mined (mined) by generating new blocks using the power of your PC. To turn your hardware into useful tool for mining digital coins, you need to install special software on it. After that, the computer will begin to select the only correct one from many combinations, and if it cope with this task, then you will be rewarded with 25 coins.

But this, so to speak, is the essence of the process in general terms. If we objectively assess the productivity and profitability of mining on a single computer, then it is negligible, just as the likelihood that out of the huge mass of capacities involved in the process, the problem will be solved by your machine.

To improve the efficiency of work, miners combine their capabilities and form so-called pools. The reward for the coin mined by one of the pool participants is divided among all. True, the profitability of this mining method depends on the exchange rate, and after the drop in the LTC price, it also lost its attractiveness. The only way that is profitable is industrial mining, which requires relatively expensive special equipment focused specifically on mining. However, the word "industrial" should not scare you, such equipment can be installed at home, but you need to be prepared for significant electricity costs. In short, you first need to calculate everything well.

1. Cloud mining. Apparently, the complexity and cost of the mining method described above gave rise to the idea of \u200b\u200bcloud mining, which consists in buying or renting computing power and using it to generate new coins. Actually, a company that leases equipment is engaged in production, and the remuneration is distributed among the participants in proportion to their contribution (the volume of purchased capacity).

Users have different attitudes towards cloud mining. Many are confused by the fact that cloud mining companies for some reason prefer to share the mined crypt, instead of replenishing their accounts with it. Just like during the boom in gold mining in the United States, when the people serving this process became, as a result, much richer than the gold miners themselves.

1. Faucet sites. There are special sites that provide users with the opportunity to earn some LTC by completing simple tasks like entering captcha. The rewards accrued here are very small, to earn at least a couple of dollars, you need to spend a lot of time, and constantly changing captchas just drive you to a frenzy (unless you have iron nerves, of course).

The owners of such resources have their own interest. They clog the site with advertising materials that some of the visitors no, no, and even clicks. And each click is their profit, from which they allocate crumbs to users entering captcha.

Here are some of the most profitable and time-tested faucets:

1. Moon Litecoin. A stable working resource with a constant charge of coins. The minimum time frame is 5 minutes. Funds are withdrawn every Saturday if the balance is at least 500 thousand litoshi.
2. Free-Litecoin. Once an hour you can "shoot" 60 thousand litoshi here and in automatic mode withdraw earnings to Faucetbox.
3. Litecoin Cryptorials. Nice service. Once every 15 minutes you can enrich yourself by 8, 15 or 20 thousand litoshi. Conclusion to the same micro-wallet as in the previous case.

You can earn cryptocurrency, and Litecoins, including by simply playing:

1. There are games that are arranged like ordinary slot machines, where you deposit a certain amount and play for it. Most of the players find themselves "in flight", only a few win. At times, the game does not require money, offering the means to play. But don't be overjoyed ahead of time. This is just a gimmick designed to excite your excitement, which in the future will still make you spend your hard-earned money.
2. Another category of games involves your participation (with or without a down payment) in some process - the development of the farm, the construction of buildings, etc. For the successful completion of certain tasks, you are rewarded. If you were allowed to start playing without investment, then in the future you will still need to spend on some improvements, purchase the necessary resources, and everything in the same spirit. These are pyramid games. It seems that it is impossible to lose in them, but the money for the payment of rewards comes from somewhere. This means that new participants are involved, whose contributions are partially used for these needs.

Until now, we have considered the issue of replenishing your Litecoin reserves, and now let's talk about who and how can make money on it.

Such an opportunity exists for people who are well acquainted with exchange currency trading, that is, for traders. If you are a pro in this business, then nothing prevents you from trying to replenish your budget by playing on currency exchange rate fluctuations.

You can also make money by investing in Litecoin, but the investment will be long-term. The calculation here is on the deflationary component of the crypt. Such currencies sooner or later rise in value.

And finally, there is the prospect of making money from business representatives. Start accepting Litecoin as a payment unit and thus you will attract new customers who prefer to pay for goods or services with this particular money.

A few final words

Like any other cryptocurrency, Litecoin has its drawbacks, but believe me, this coin has much more advantages. And in order for them to manifest themselves more clearly, first of all, LTC must acquire the maximum possible popularity among users, since its relative oblivion causes both the instability of the exchange rate, and a decrease in capitalization, and a limited range of use. We contributed to the popularization of Litecoin by writing this review. Now it's up to you. Good luck!

The material was prepared by Maya Tikhonova, an expert on the site about cryptocurrencies CryptoRatings.ru .

Is Litecoin just another bitcoin clone?

Yes and no. Litecoin is built on the basis of the Bitcoin protocol. It is still the same peer-to-peer network consisting of a chain of interconnected blocks of information about transactions. It was formed due to the voluntary support of participants who provide their computing power for processing transactions and generating blocks.

The essence and purpose of Litecoin are similar to the tasks that its older brother was originally intended to solve. It should serve as a means of payment, more convenient, faster and cheaper than conventional national currencies.

Litecoin, frankly speaking, has few differences from cryptogold:

• different algorithms for the formation of "building blocks" of the blockchain ". If Bitcoin runs on SHA-256, then Litecoin will use scrypt, developed by FreeBSD security officer Colin Percival. Initially, it was created for the Tarsnap online service, but it also worked for cryptocurrency;
• increased block generation frequency. In the bitcoin blockchain, a new block appears every 10 minutes, while in the litecoin network this process takes only 2.5 minutes;
• litecoin mining will stop when the total number of mined coins reaches 84 million.The maximum number of bitcoins is 4 times less - 21 million.

Why is Litecoin better than Bitcoin?

Litecoin developers have never claimed to compete with the # 1 cryptocurrency. On the contrary, they believe that Bitcoin will serve as the main digital coin. Litecoin will modestly take its place as a useful complement.

Not opponents, but comrades

As a result, our hero does not have any outstanding features, although there are advantages over bitcoin:

• transactions are 4 times faster due to reduced block generation time. Bitcoins reach the addressee, at best, 10 minutes after sending. On the Litecoin blockchain payment transaction can be hit after 2.5 minutes;
• less transaction queue... The faster the network processes payments, the less transactions languish in the pool waiting for their noble miners. Consequently, transfers can be carried out quickly without increased fees;
• transactions are several times cheaper... In December 2017, the average fee for processing transactions on the bitcoin network reached $ 52, and $ 1.4 was paid for the transfer of litecoins in the same period. Now there is no excitement in the market, so the amount of fees has dropped dramatically. But transferring Litecoins is still 3-5 times cheaper than bitcoins.

The advantages are few, but they definitely make Litecoin a more profitable means of payment. Sellers will love the speed at which transactions are processed, and buyers will love the tiny fees.

Can I mine it?

For each new block in the Litecoin network, miners today receive a reward of 25 coins, which at the current exchange rate is about $ 2.5 thousand. Looks good considering that this amount is distributed every 2.5 minutes. In addition, litecoin is not very popular among industrial miners, so coins can be mined using relatively simple equipment.

Mining Litecoin on Asic (Gridseed)

Does all this mean that it's time to invest in lightcoin mining? Unlikely, and here's why:

• too hard... When the price of the coin increased along with the entire market in December 2017, many players switched their computing power to mining Litecoin. This, of course, led to a jump in mining difficulty. Since then, the coin has fallen in price, the excitement around it has cooled, but the difficulty of mining is still relatively high and does not match the value of the coin;
• too cheap... Litecoin's current rate barely covers mining costs. A small profit will be able to get only miners who have access to very cheap electricity, or better, completely free;
• reward will soon decrease... In the spring of 2019, the reward for generating a block of the Litecoin network will be halved: instead of 25 coins, miners will receive only 12.5 coins. If the price of the cryptocurrency does not double by that time, mining litecoin will not bring anything but losses.

Could Litecoin Become # 1 Cryptocurrency?

Charlie Lee originally positioned his creation as an organic addition to Bitcoin. In his opinion, cryptogold is best suited for storing savings, but when you want to spend your savings, it is better to use Litecoin. Indeed, it is more convenient and profitable for making purchases or paying for services.

Litecoin can be paired with Bitcoin, but will never surpass it in price and market position. Moreover, if cryptogold does sink into oblivion, it is highly likely that Litecoin will follow.

What will happen to his course?

From 2013 to March 2017, the price of the coin showed amazing stability. It fluctuated in the $ 3-5 range almost all the time. However, everything changed last spring. Coin grew rapidly for several months until it crossed the $ 350 mark in December. The rebound was painful - now the coin is worth about $ 100.

In general, Litecoin follows bitcoin's wake, repeating all the bends of its price chart, falling and growing with it. If the bears continue to press on the market (guys who do not buy cryptocurrency for a long time in the hope of its growth, but earn immediately, on rate fluctuations), our coin will not resist and will sink. She can just as easily climb a bull and repeat the heroic feat of December 2017 and even get to the $ 400 level and overcome it. But will it happen?

Not a disaster, but better times already behind

Analysts' forecasts for the future of the crypto market for the coming years vary. Many people say that first generation coins that are not designed for specific purposes will leave the market. Litecoin runs the risk of being included in this number. This does not mean that it will disappear from the market within 1-2 years or will never renew its historical highs again. But the more distant perspective is hazy.

In an alternative scenario, Bitcoin will strengthen its status as a digital gold, and the spread of cryptocurrency as a means of payment will continue. Then litecoin will have a good chance of appreciation. It will take place through the conclusion of partnership agreements with companies, retailers, all kinds of online services, etc. The wider the circle of organizations that accept Litecoins, the higher the price of the coin.

The only pity is that no state wants to recognize cryptocurrency as a legal tender. This does not prevent many shops and cafes from accepting digital coins, but there can be no massive distribution of crypto payments in such realities.

It is believed that the main competitor of bitcoin is ether, the second largest cryptocurrency in terms of capitalization. We will tell you why this is not so.

During this year, the total capitalization of the cryptocurrency market soared from $ 17.7 billion to more than $ 300 billion (data as of November 30). In less than 11 months, the value of all virtual assets has grown by more than 1620%. For comparison, the American stock market, taking into account dividends, brought investors an average of 7% per year. In other words, stocks have given way to crypto assets on all fronts and are far behind.

Bitcoin remains the undisputed leader among cryptocurrencies. In January its cost did not exceed $ 970, now it has exceeded $ 10,000. With a current capitalization of $ 174 billion, Bitcoin is ahead of General Electric (NYSE:), one of the largest American companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Bitcoin's main competitor is not ether

Bitcoin is not alone in its pursuit of heights. CoinMarketCap.com lists 1,327 different cryptocurrencies. Many of them run on their own blockchains.

Blockchain is a digital, decentralized database of all transactions. It processes and records them without the intervention of intermediaries such as banks or credit unions. Low barriers to entry allow anyone with sufficient knowledge, time and money to create their own blockchain - the competition between virtual currencies is extremely high.

Ether (ETH / USD) is generally considered to be Bitcoin's main competitor. It has the second largest capitalization and the best growth in 2017 than Bitcoin. In addition, the Ethereum blockchain is being tested in 200 different projects as part of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance.

But the two cryptocurrency giants seem to have completely different missions. Ethereum developers intend to promote their blockchain for companies, somewhat ignoring its functions as a means of payment.

Meanwhile, bitcoin developers have focused solely on its purpose as a means of payment and only recently started attracting businesses to their blockchain. While both currencies compete to some extent, Bitcoin and Ether do not pose a direct threat to each other.

Meet Bitcoin's biggest rival

Instead, Bitcoin's main rival is Litecoin (LTC / USD). Currently, its capitalization is $ 4.8 billion and is second only to Bitcoin Gold, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, Dash, and Bitcoin.

In many ways, Bitcoin and Litecoin are very similar. Both have a limited number of coins, although the block calculation time for Litecoin is slightly shorter. As a result, payments in the Litecoin network are faster, but also less reward for miners. Plus, both currencies are much older than most peers. Bitcoin appeared in 2009, Litecoin was created in 2011. In other words, these are already mature currencies (so to speak).

But what really connects them is the desire to become a generally accepted means of payment. Five large companies have accepted Bitcoin payments since 2014, and many smaller merchants have joined since then.

In this sense, litecoin is not so successful, but this is more due to the fact that its creator, Charles Lee, did not take an active part in the development of his brainchild for several years, and only recently returned to the ranks of developers. Online store Overstock.com became the first major retailer to accept Litecoin as payment. Over time, others joined in.

Litecoin definitely has potential. There was a long-awaited SegWit update recently that was critical to boost bandwidth blockchain, reducing settlement time and reducing transaction processing costs. This should attract businesses and possibly investors.

However, Charlie Lee himself does not consider Litecoin to be the main competitor of Bitcoin. He is confident that both cryptocurrencies can successfully coexist and work for the benefit of each other (although this remains to be seen).

Risk for all virtual currencies (including Bitcoin and Litecoin)

To some extent, all cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Litecoin, share one significant risk - low barriers to entry.

No one disputes that blockchain will radically change the payment process for a number of industries. The question is, when will this happen and what blockchains will be used for this?

Investors are known for re-evaluating new ideas. Almost every emergence of disruptive technology such as business-to-business over the Internet, genetic mapping, 3D printing has been accompanied by bubbles. This is not to say that companies from these industries did not succeed in the long term, but this happened much more slowly than investors expected. The same can happen with blockchain.

In addition, there is a real danger that companies will choose not the blockchains of bitcoin, litecoin or ether, but some others. In the world of cryptocurrencies, competition is incredibly high and preferences change instantly.

Can Litecoin Challenge Bitcoin's Supremacy? Time will tell.

Prepared by Taya Aryanova

Contrary to popular misconceptions, Litecoin is not the first fork of Bitcoin. These are the digital assets and the Namecoin payment system of the same name. Although this circumstance did not prevent Litecoin from winning the title of virtual silver. We can safely say that 2011 was a watershed in the development of alternative monetary units. After all, it was then that the beginning of the emergence of a significant number of digital assets based on open source code Bitcoin, and then altcoins, the mining of which uses an algorithm that differs from the standard generation process developed by Satoshi Nakamoto (creator of the first cryptocurrency).

The evolution of cryptoassets is based on the principle of natural competition. The value of altcoins is determined by different characteristics, so the question: which is better - Bitcoin or Litecoin, does not lose its relevance today. Although, since its inception, virtual silver has settled in the TOP list of digital currency units and continues to hold positions. Moreover, with every drop in Bitcoin quotes, one can hear claims that Litecoin has every chance of becoming a worthy alternative to the first cryptocurrency.

Litecoin or Bitcoin which is better?

The first thing that distinguishes Bitcoin from Litecoin is the designation of these cryptoassets. It is customary to mark virtual silver coins with the abbreviation BTC, and the fork is denoted as LTC.

To determine the conditional winner on a number of parameters between Litecoin and Bitcoin, it would be reasonable to make a comparison on the following points:

1. Market capitalization indicators.
2. Features of generation.
3. The speed and profitability of transactions.
4. Extra features.

Market Cap of Litecoin and Bitcoin

Determining which is more profitable, Bitcoin or Litecoin, and taking as a basis only market capitalization indicators and the dominance index, we can conclude that Bitcoin is the undisputed leader in the world of cryptocurrencies. At the time of this writing (12/24/2017), the total value of the first digital asset is $ 241 billion. It outperforms the competitor in fifth position by more than 16 times. The dominance index, however, varies within 43-44%. It is impressive that the Bitcoin exchange rate is approximately $ 13,000. This indicator is not the maximum and has undergone an adjustment after a record pullback from the $ 20,000 mark, but about 55 times higher than Litecoin's market value ($ 250). It's hard to see why a first digital asset shouldn't be the segment leader? After all, he has always significantly outstripped and is ahead of his many competitors in these indicators.

Features and profitability of Bitcoin and Litecoin generation

It is much easier to mine Litecoin. Unlike the first cryptocurrency, a more simplified Scrypt standard is used here than the SHA-256 algorithm. There is an explanation for this, because virtual silver was created taking into account the technical features of Bitcoin.

The professionalization of the mining industry and the constant increase in the complexity of the network of the first digital asset can serve as some, but not an indisputable indicator for correctly determining which is better to mine - Litecoin or Bitcoin?

The generation of virtual Bitcoin coins is associated with a solid investment. Against the background of the loss of profitability of solo mining, it became necessary to purchase expensive computing equipment called ASIC. Its cost starts from 500 and reaches 10 thousand US dollars. In addition, you need to purchase at least several ASICs. Of course, ordinary people can't always afford it, but there are alternative options:

1. Migration to cloud mining. The popularity of cloud mining services for cryptocurrencies has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Despite the presence of reliable service providers on the market, the issue of fraud does not lose its relevance. A separate problem is the duration of the payback period of the packages, which depends on the exchange rate fluctuations of digital coins.
2. Cooperation with pools for mining cryptocurrencies. When determining which is better - Bitcoin or Litecoin, one should take into account the possibility of generation by participating in the work of pools. These voluntary associations of miners can consist of hundreds of thousands of PC owners. Although, the issue of fraud is acute in this segment... However, it is possible to mitigate the existing risks, to become a member of reputable platforms that allow for complex generation. That is, the administration of some resources has developed a mechanism that provides automatic switching to the generation of various digital assets, the production of which is most profitable at a particular moment. Litecoin is one of these coins.
3. Creation of mini-farms using graphic cards. Miners who are versed in computer technology can assemble a mini-farm of 5 or more video cards at home, but it is difficult to count on getting a solid profit in this way.

In terms of mining complexity, Litecoin is more profitable than Bitcoin, but differs from the latter in lower profitability. Although block generation in the virtual silver network is 4 times faster, this factor plays a secondary role in the process of calculating profitability. And this is despite the fact that video cards and ASICs running on the Scrypt algorithm cost much less than their counterparts operating according to the SHA-256 standard.

The speed and profitability of Bitcoin and Litecoin transfers

Bitcoin is significantly outperformed by its competitor in terms of speed money transfers... The growth in the number and volume of transactions in the first cryptocurrency network caused problems with scaling. As a result, you can often see that the number of unconfirmed transfers is in the hundreds of thousands. The throughput indicator often drops to a critical level.

The Litecoin network is misunderstood by many as test version Bitcoin. In fact, it is a separate market player. This misconception can be partly explained by the fact that the SegWit algorithm was activated here much earlier. Thanks to this, so high speed the passage of payments has doubled. Moreover, the institution of atomic swaps has been successfully integrated, which makes it possible to replace Bitcoin when making mutual settlements remotely.

What are we seeing on the Bitcoin network? Despite the implementation of the Lightning Network (processing micro-transactions outside the main blockchain) and SegWit, the early likelihood of launching SegWit2X, the issue of fast transfers remains unresolved. However, these details do not answer the question: which is better, Bitcoin or Litecoin? It is known that the services offered by third-party services allow transfers using Bitcoin coins very quickly, without waiting for the standard 6 confirmations from miners. In addition, you can get Bitcoin debit cards in order to operate your crypto savings without restrictions.

Additional features of Litecoin and Bitcoin

Other points should be highlighted:

1. Network effect.
2. The level of development of the trade infrastructure.
3. Risks and profitability of investment.

The network effect plays an important role in the development of Bitcoin. The developers initially took a course that prevented Litecoin, like other cryptocurrencies, from overtaking the pioneer. Although the technical simplicity of mining is important for ordinary owners of digital assets, the big miners and crypto traders who prefer to operate with a more expensive, speculative and highly liquid asset, such as Bitcoin, run the show.

Which is better for trading, Bitcoin or Litecoin? We have to state that the first digital asset has a more developed network for conversion settlements. On most exchanges, BTC / USD is the preferred trading pair, that is, it is Bitcoin that should be considered the main competitor of the dollar, and not other altcoins.

From an investment point of view, it is worth discussing some features:

1. For ordinary citizens, the low cost of coins made Litecoin a convenient and affordable investment asset. Indeed, at the beginning of 2017, quotations fluctuated within the range of 4-5 dollars. The increase to date has been approximately 6500%. The similar indicator of Bitcoin looks much more modest, and varies between 12-14%. Compared to the price of Bitcoin, $ 250 for one Litecoin coin is a very low entry threshold.
2. Recent events refute the myth of linking Litecoin quotes to the value of Bitcoin. For example, during the period of a tough correction of the entire cryptocurrency market, when the price of the first digital currency decreased by about $ 7,000, Litecoin was almost the only asset whose value jumped by about 20%.
3. Litecoin showed its best side, responding with only a minor correction towards depreciation to the spread of information about the sale by Charles Lee (the developer of Litecoin) of all of its assets due to a "conflict of interest".

Which is better, Bitcoin or Litecoin? Both cryptocurrencies are weak and strengths and are leaders. If you are going to invest in digital assets, then you need to constantly monitor exchange rate fluctuations, diversify risks by distributing savings and buying not only Bitcoin and Litecoin, but also other TOP altcoins. Additionally