How to Buy Litecoin | Buy LTC in 4 Steps (September 2023)

Litecoin was one of the earliest cryptocurrencies to enter the market. Consequently, it remains one of the largest coins in the sector based on market capitalization. Also, it’s one of the most widely accepted cryptocurrencies in the world. You can use Litecoin for purchasing goods and services, or even investing in other crypto projects as they emerge.

To learn more, visit our Investing in Litecoin guide.

How to Buy Litecoin (LTC) in 4 Steps

The whole process can take as little as 10 minutes, and all you'll need is a smartphone or computer, photo identification, and a means of payment.

1. Compare Crypto Exchanges – We list the top cryptocurrency exchanges that offer the ability to buy Litecoin (LTC) cryptocurrency.
2. Create an account – Verify your email address and identity.
3. Make a deposit – Debit Card, Credit Card, Wire Transfer, or Bitcoin.
4. Buy Litecoin – Use your funds to Buy LTC.

We list the top 8 exchanges that offer the ability to buy Litecoin (LTC) cryptocurrency with a credit card or debit card.

1. eToro USA

This is a leading cryptocurrency exchange that has been operating since 2007 and is exclusively recommended for USA residents. They offer an unbeatable trading experience and have become popular for crypto trading.

eToro is registered with FinCEN in the USA as a money services business, which gives it a platform to expand its service offering within the US through its American entity, eToro USA LLC.

As you would expect, eToro keeps you protected by using segregated bank accounts within top-tier financial institutions. This ensures that in the very unlikely event there were some financial issues at the broker, your funds would be fully protected. eToro also furthers this protection by providing negative balance protection as standard. This stops you from ever losing more money than you deposit in your trading account.

They offer trading opportunities for most USA residents, excluding the states of Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, & Puerto Rico.

Read our eToro Review or visit eToro USA.

eToro Disclaimer: eToro USA LLC; Investments are subject to market risk, including the possible loss of principal.

2. Uphold

A top exchange in the United States & UK, Uphold is an experienced and extremely innovative trading platform that should be able to meet your needs for trading across a number of cryptocurrencies, including Litecoin (LTC). Beyond the ease of use and innovative features within the trading platform, what stands out about Uphold is the credibility it has gained in the industry.

Uphold offers both a desktop and mobile app trading experience that is extremely intuitive. The trading view is completely customizable with the assets that you trade the most and is very easy to navigate while providing a modern feel on both desktop and mobile. It is a very popular and suitable choice, particularly for new traders.

Besides being visibly appealing, the Uphold trading platform allows you to place your trades with great ease. Just a couple of clicks, and you can make trades directly from your deposit method without even having to wait for funds to clear to your account. This one-step ordering is another innovation from a company that prides itself on the usability of its platform. Uphold also provides the ability to execute limit orders.

German & Netherlands residents are prohibited.

For the full lowdown, see our Uphold review or visit Uphold to get started now.

Uphold Disclaimer: Terms Apply. Cryptoassets are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment, and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong..

3. Paybis

Paybis is designed for simplicity and is an extremely trustworthy starting point for buying Litecoin (LTC) and other cryptocurrencies.  This exchange has been operating since 2014 and has assisted numerous traders in beginning their crypto trading journey, offering the convenience of purchasing with just a credit or debit card.  Unlike other exchanges where you buy tokens from other users, with Paybis, you purchase directly from the exchange, making the process much simpler and smoother.

Paybis is a truly global company offering services to residents from 180+ countries, including Canada, Europe, UK, & USA.

The fees you will encounter here are good value and competitive with others in the sector, depending on the payment method you use.

FinCEN Department of the Treasury, United States of America Money Service Business Registration: 31000224635628.

Read our Paybis Review or visit Paybis.

4. KuCoin

KuCoin is a well-known name in the industry, and one of the most competitive when it comes to fees and trading costs. The exchange has grown exponentially from its early days of offering only crypto to crypto trading.  It now offers a varied range of services, including a P2P exchange capability, and purchasing with credit or debit cards.

KuCoin currently offers Litecoin (LTC) cryptocurrency trading as well as over 300 other popular tokens.  It is often the first to offer buying opportunities for new tokens.

USA residents are prohibited.

Read our KuCoin Review or visit KuCoin.

5. Kraken

Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the most trusted names in the cryptocurrency industry, with over 9,000,000 users and over $207 billion in quarterly trading volume.

From humble beginnings, Kraken now offers over 200 digital assets, including Litecoin (LTC). For more sophisticated investors, Kraken also offers futures and margin trading.

Kraken has continued to evolve its platform, and its commitment to the industry by being one of the first exchanges to offer buying opportunities on new tokens.

Kraken offers trading access to over 190 countries, including Australia, Canada, Europe, and is our most recommended exchange for USA residents. (Excluding New York & Washington state)

Read our Kraken Review or visit Kraken.

6. Binance

Binance is one of the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. The benefits of purchasing Litecoin (LTC) here are both lower fees than competing exchanges and increased liquidity, enabling you to buy and sell quickly to take advantage of market-moving news.

This exchange is best for investors residing in Australia, Singapore, UK & internationally. Canadian & USA residents are prohibited.

Read our Binance Review or visit Binance.

Use Discount Code: EE59L0QP for 10% cashback off all trading fees.

7. Huobi Global

Established in 2013, Huobi Global has since become one of the world’s largest digital asset exchanges, with an accumulated trading volume of US $1 trillion. Having once accounted for half of the world’s digital asset transactions, Huobi now serves more than 5 million users in over 130 countries around the globe. It should be noted that Huobi Global currently does not accept USA or Canadian residents.

Huobi Global is one of the top exchanges that currently offer Litecoin (LTC) trading opportunities.

Read our Huobi Global Review or visit Huobi Global.

8. WazirX

Launched in 2018, WazirX is India’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange with over 6,o00,000 users, and is expanding rapidly. It is one of the most reputable exchanges to currently offer Litecoin (LTC) trading opportunities and currently accepts clients from all over the world. This exchange is part of the Binance Group, which ensures a high standard of quality.

USA residents are prohibited.

Read our WazirX review or visit WazirX

What is Litecoin?

Litecoin is an open-source cryptocurrency, which facilitates peer-to-peer transactions.  It was launched in 2011 and has since been viewed as a ‘silver to Bitcoins gold’ – meaning that it was not necessarily created to compete with Bitcoin, but rather, complement it.

What does it do?

Through the use of blockchain technology, Litecoin offers its users a means of quickly and cheaply, transferring value.  As the network continues to develop, and adoption grows, Litecoin has the potential to be used as both a store of value and as a digital currency.

How does Litecoin work?

Working on a proof-of-work model, Litecoin utilizes a 2.5-minute block cycle.  Each completed block currently results in the generation of 12.5 LTC, with this reward cut in half every four years.  In total, only 84 million LTC will ever be produced.

Projected Developments?

Several major developments have been underway for years now, on the Litecoin network.  Two examples of this include support for:

Atomic Swaps – This technology allows for seamless swapping of assets from differing blockchains. Achieved through the use of ‘hash-time locked contracts’, the process eliminates the need for middlemen.

Lightning Network – This is a second-layer solution that has the potential to vastly improve transaction speed, costs, and privacy on the networks that implement it. To learn more about how the lightning network works, click HERE.

Underlying Ideology?

The driving force behind the creation of Litecoin was to create a cheaper, and quicker, version of Bitcoin.  With Litecoin being based on the Bitcoin source code, it would stand to reason that each is built on the same beliefs – create a decentralized currency, accessible globally, which will make financial inclusion a reality.

Acceptance and Controversies?

Litecoin has managed to establish some of the highest levels of adoption among cryptocurrencies.  This is due to more than just its capabilities.  Due to a code base, derived largely from that of Bitcoin, companies that develop support for one can easily support the other.

The controversy surrounding Litecoin typically revolves around it utilizing a proof-of-work model.  This is an energy-intensive process, often perceived as inefficient.

Aside from the currency itself, the largest controversy to plague Litecoin would be due to its founder, Charlie Lee.  Notably, during the massive bull market of 2017, Charlie Lee sold his Litecoin holdings at an all-time high.  While it was noted that this move was taken to ensure the development of the network remained impartial, some were skeptical about the timing.  Some also believed that the move was, essentially, a sign that even its founder didn’t see a bright future for the project – Charlie Lee has vehemently denied this, however.

Regulation?

Although not explicitly stated by regulators, Litecoin is widely viewed as a digital currency.  With no token sale and no central body profiting from the success of the network, it is typically not believed to be a security – regulators, however, can be finicky, and this may not always remain the case.

Who Created Litecoin?

The creation of Litecoin is widely accredited to Charlie Lee.  From its launch in 2011, Litecoin was structured by Lee as, both, a competing, and complimentary, digital currency to Bitcoin.