Litecoin

LTC CMC #21 in the snapshot

A payment-focused Bitcoin relative using Scrypt mining and optional MWEB privacy functionality.

Profile checked 14 Nov 2026Asset ranks captured 14 Nov 2026Snapshot & methodology ↗

01 / THE PURPOSE

What is Litecoin for?

Litecoin transfers LTC on a distinct ledger. It follows a comparatively focused digital-cash design rather than offering an EVM-style environment for arbitrary application contracts.

02 / THE ARCHITECTURE

Three questions about the machinery.

How does it agree?

Consensus & security

Scrypt proof-of-work secures blocks. Its shorter target block interval changes how frequently blocks arrive, but one quick confirmation is not equivalent to absolute finality.

Where do instructions run?

Execution model

Ordinary transactions use Bitcoin-derived output accounting. Optional Mimblewimble Extension Blocks add a separate privacy path with its own wallet and integration requirements.

What is the token for?

LTC in the system

LTC pays transfers and fees and rewards miners. A maximum supply of 84 million and scheduled halvings define issuance; they do not guarantee purchasing power.

03 / THE DESIGN CHOICES

What comes with the design?

Each architecture makes choices about security, performance, coordination, and who can participate.

Exchange and wallet support for MWEB differs; ordinary transparent payments remain visible.
Implementation security matters: developers documented an MWEB validation exploit and coordinated recovery in 2026.

04 / IN PRACTICE

Follow one use.

Illustrative: a wallet may support regular LTC transfers but not MWEB addresses. Both use LTC, yet their privacy features and supported transaction paths differ.

05 / CHECK THE EXPLANATION

Sources & snapshot.

Network descriptions use the references below. The CoinMarketCap snapshot determines which assets are in scope and their captured rank; it does not assess the quality of a network.

Litecoin · Learning center Litecoin
Litecoin · MWEB security incident postmortem Litecoin
CoinMarketCap top 100 snapshot Captured 14 Nov 2026 · See the complete scope audit
Litecoin (LTC) on CoinMarketCap Captured asset rank #21

Profile checked 14 Nov 2026. Network designs and ranked positions can change.