Litecoin vs Ethereum: Which one should you buy?

What is Ethereum

Ethereum is more than just another blockchain network. It is an open-sourced blockchain system with its cryptocurrency known as Ether (ETH) and a platform for other cryptocurrencies. Ethereum also added the execution of decentralized smart contracts.

It originated in a 2013 whitepaper by Vitalik Buterin but went live on July 30, 2015. Its main goal is to allow users worldwide to write and run software censorship-resistant and has no downtime. Ethereum initially used the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus algorithm, but with the release of Ethereum 2.0, it is slowly moving to proof-of-stake (PoS).

What is Litecoin

Litecoin first saw the light of day in 2011, when it was created by Charlie Lee, who, at the time, was a computer scientist and graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Its release would pave the way for many other altcoins. Litecoin became popular because it took and altered Bitcoin's code, launching a new network. 

Furthermore, Litecoin has a reputation for adopting new changes before Bitcoin. It introduced features such as the Lightning Network as well as Segregated Witness way before Bitcoin did.

Like BTC, LTC has a cap of 84 million coins, with halvings occurring every few years. 

Litecoin vs Ethereum Price Evolution

The prices of the two cryptocurrencies evolved differently. Although the 'older' of the two, Litecoin's value is approximately 10 times smaller than ETH. What they do have in common is price volatility.

Here are some of the key moments in LTC and ETH price evolution.

Litecoin Price Evolution

• First valued in 2011 at $0.3
• At the start of 2013, it rose to $3.
• Rose to $50 for the very first time in November of 2013.
• In 2014, it dropped to $1.
• In 2015, LTC got back up to $3.
• In July of 2017, Litecoin price reached $50 again.
• In September of 2017, LTC set a new ATH at $80.
• In December of 2017, it reached the $370 mark.
• In 2018, it fell to $25.
• In 2019, LTC prices started climbing again, reaching $145.
• In 2020, it shifted between $70 and $40.
• In May 2021, LTC reached a new ATH of $410.

Ethereum Price Evolution

• First valued in 2015 at $2.77, but the price dropped to $0.68 after just a few days
• On March 13 of 2016, Ethereum reached a high of $15 per coin.
• The 2016 ATH was $21.
• In 2017, with the ICO boom, it saw a value of $95 per coin as of May 6.
• In January 2018, it peaked at $1,400.
• In 2019, it mainly stood around the $200 mark.
• By the end of 2020, it started rising over $700 again.
• On May 12 of 2021, it reached its ATH of $4,356.

Which One Should You Buy?

While both cryptocurrencies have seen astonishing growth, keep in mind that they do not exclude each other.

A good trader and/or investor doesn't limit himself to just one item in his portfolio. In other words, monitor and buy both Litecoin and Ethereum if you see an opportunity for a return on your investment.

ETH to LTC – Can You Exchange

There are currently many crypto exchanges that allow you to trade directly between these two cryptocurrencies.

These are known as cryptocurrency trading pairs. 

Given that both Litecoin and Ethereum are some of the world's most popular cryptocurrencies, the chances are high that almost every exchange you go to will allow you to trade this pair. Note that every platform will have its own Litecoin vs Ethereum fees.

Bottom Line

Out of the hundreds of existing cryptocurrencies, Litecoin and Ethereum are some of the most traded.

Before you can start investing in either, or both, you need to sign up with a crypto exchange. Keep in mind that the internet is full of crypto trading platforms, so choosing the right now might be difficult.

Alternately, you could use our crypto exchange comparison platform. All you have to do is answer a simple question, and our algorithm will tell you which crypto exchange is best suited for your current needs.