How to Buy Litecoin (LTC)

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, services, or even investing in other crypto projects as they emerge. To learn more visit our Investing in Litecoin guide.

We list the top 7 exchanges that offer the ability to buy Litecoin (LTC) cryptocurrency with a credit card or debit card.

Bitstamp

Founded in 2011, Bitstamp is one of the oldest & most trusted exchanges in the world and are a popular choice in the USA. The exchange now has more than 4 million users worldwide and offers a wide range of cryptocurrencies to choose from including Litecoin (KTC).

A highly experienced exchange, Bitstamp provides a thorough and user-friendly trading environment that is secure and with enough choice to satisfy most traders. The global nature of the company and the trusted regulation and licensing put in place is also a positive aspect for many new or experienced users.

They currently accept Canada, UK & USA residents excluding the states of Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, & New Jersey.

Read our Bitstamp Review or visit Bitstamp.

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 which prides itself on the usability of its platform. Uphold also provides the ability to execute limit orders.

Germany & Netherland residents are prohibited.

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

Uphold Disclaimer: Assets available on Uphold are subject to region. All investments and trading are risky and may result in the loss of capital. Cryptoassets are largely unregulated and are therefore not subject to protection.

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, Canada, Singapore, UK & internationally.  USA residents are prohibited from purchasing most tokens.

Read our Binance Review or visit Binance.

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

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.

This exchange currently accepts USA residents.

Read our KuCoin Review or visit KuCoin.

Coinbase

Coinbase is a publicly traded crypto exchange listed on the NASDAQ.  It is one of the most widely used exchanges in the United States and accepts clients from 100+ countries including Australia, Canada, Singapore, and the UK.

Over 460 billion dollars in volume has been traded by over 70 million users at Coinbase. Security is a paramount feature with 98% of customer funds being stored in secure offline storage. The platform is simple to use and is available on desktop, Android, and iOS, offering trading opportunities in over 140 cryptocurrencies including Litecoin (LTC).

This exchange currently accepts USA residents excluding Hawaii.

Read our Coinbase Review or visit Coinbase.

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 offers Litecoin (LTC) trading opportunities.

Read our Huobi Global Review or visit Huobi Global.

WazirX (INDIA Only)

WazirX is India’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange with over 400,000 users and they are expanding rapidly. They are one of the most reputable exchanges that currently offers Litecoin (LTC) trading opportunities and they currently accept 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 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, or as a digital currency.

How does Litecoin work?

Working on a proof-of-work model, Litecoin utilizes a 2.5minute 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 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 network which 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 which develop support for one can easily support the other.

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 its all-time-high.  While it was noted that this move was taken to ensure development of the network remained impartial, some were skeptical on 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.