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How does Litecoin compare to Bitcoin and what are the differences?

I heard Litecoin is more advanced technology. Is that true?

Murch
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CR241
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  • @GregHewgill, Can you explain how it is Duplicate – CR241 Jul 13 '17 at 22:16
  • @CR241: We generally close questions as duplicates that are already comprehensively answered on another question. In this case, the answers on the linked question could fit here with minor edits at most. The rest of the points you ask about is covered by the other question's text. Altogether, your question is comprehensively answered in the linked topic and that would make yours a duplicate. — However, I'm on the fence about this duplicate because the question there is loaded with opinion on the onset and thus prevents answers from exploring the full scope of the topic. – Murch Jul 15 '17 at 21:28
  • Also see: https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/help/duplicates – Murch Jul 15 '17 at 21:36

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Litecoin was created as a fork of the Bitcoin Core client in 2011. There were some initial differences: a maximum of 84 million coins (21 million Bitcoins), 2.5 minute block times (10 minute Bitcoin block times) and a different proof-of-work algorithm (Scrypt replacing Bitcoin's SHA256). It is arguable whether this made Litecoin "more advanced" than Bitcoin. Most of the subsequent Litecoin development merely merged updates to Bitcoin Core into its codebase. However, in April 2017 Litecoin activated SegWit that had not been activated into Bitcoin despite being coded and announced by Bitcoin Core developers. This resulted in Litecoin being a more attractive testbed for second layer technologies such as Lightning. There are multiple efforts to activate SegWit on Bitcoin in the next few months (UASF, SegWit2x). Until that happens there is a stronger argument that Litecoin has "more advanced" technology.

Michael Folkson
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