There are over 13000 cryptocurrencies in the crypto market but most traders and investors don’t even know half of them. But there are a handful of currencies that almost every trader knows and wants to get hold of. Three of these famous cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. Each of these currencies is the top dog of the crypto market nowadays. Here, we will be looking into each of them, their key characteristics, and what sets the famed LTC apart from others.
BTC: The Original Crypto
Bitcoin was the first digital cryptocurrency that was put forward into this world. With this introduction, the entire global economy was put on a path of change. At the time of its debut in the market, the coin cost little to anything. But that was all in the past. Now, to buy a BTC, you have to spend at the very least $100K. This is huge even for a cryptocurrency having a limited supply.
The main reason behind this huge price was due to the US Presidential election and Trump’s subsequent victory. With Trump’s crypto policy and a new presidency, as he takes office on January 20, 2025, we can expect a further surge in the coin’s value. Expert analysts and market indicators are claiming that the coin will soar over $300K by the end of 2029.
Litecoin: Sibling To The Original Crypto
Litecoin is a cryptocurrency created through a fork in BTC. It was first introduced to decentralize mining to ensure that large-scale miners don’t have absolute control over the mining process. Litecoin shares similar features to BTC, but the algorithms used to employ these features are entirely different.
Litecoin has been aiming to become a key player in day-to-day transactions recently. The coin is currently ranked #4 in the crypto market based on its total market cap, which stands at 9.83 billion. Litecoin uses a script hashing algorithm, a mathematical function that converts data into a fixed-length hash value. Also, the LTC chain can verify and check over 50 transactions per second.
Ethereum: The Second Largest Crypto
Ethereum or ETH is the cryptocurrency that powers the Ethereum blockchain, a platform that allows users to create and deploy smart contracts and dApps. It is even known as “the world’s first programmable blockchain”. The coin was launched on the 30th of July, 2025 with a listing price of $0.31. From there, the blockchain network and the coin have grown a lot.
The coin’s big breakthrough occurred in 2021 and 2022 when its price soared to an all-time high of $4,891. Now, the coin is trading for $3,413 securing a growth rate of 120484.29% from the moment it was listed. With Trump’s ascension coming, many analysts and market indicators are predicting that the coin will break past its all-time high by 2030.
BTC, LTC & ETH: Key Differences
| Property | Bitcoin | Ethereum | Litecoin |
| Consensus Mechanism | Proof-of-Work | Proof-of-Stake | Proof-of-Work |
| Block Time | Approx 10 min | 12-14 seconds | Approx 2.5 min |
| Supply | 21 Million | No Fixed Cap | 84 Million |
| Transaction Speed | 7 TPS | 15-20 TPS | 54 TPS |
| Halving | Every 4 years | N/A | Every 4 years |
| Hashing Algorithm | SHA-256 | Keccak-256 | SHA-256 |
| Transaction Fee | High during congestion | Fluctuate with respect to network activity | Low |
| Smart Contracts | No | Yes | No |
| Security | Highly Secure | Secure | Secure |
| Development | Focuses on stability and security | Focuses on innovation & dApps | Focuses on speed and efficiency |
What Makes LTC Unique?
Litecoin is one of the top cryptocurrencies in the market and the coin is ranked #24 in the market based on market cap. This may be lower than BTC and ETH, but LTC makes up for it in other aspects. Litecoin blockchain was mainly designed to improve transaction speed and the cost associated with these transactions.
If you take the speed, Litecoin is the better of the three, with a Transactions Per Second (TPS) rate of 54. This is extremely high compared to its predecessor. This helps in offering users much quicker and more affordable transactions. Also, litecoin’s total supply is limited to 84 million. Compared to ETH’s unlimited supply, Litecoin has more potential to grow in the market due to the limit put on its supply.
Final Remarks
In essence, all of these cryptos have their set of advantages that are beneficial to different types of users in the market. BTC’s standing in the market is ideal for long-term investors, while LTC is preferred by those who prefer fast and efficient transactions. But, you need to keep in mind that the coins can also bring a lot of potential risks to their holders. One of the key risks is the loss of capital due to rapid price fluctuation due to market volatility. So, if you’re considering investing in these prominent coins, it would be better to conduct thorough research and keep a look out for the market trends before going for the buy.
