BCH vs LTC: Bitcoin Cash vs Litecoin — 2026 Comparison
This page compares Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Litecoin (LTC) using the DeFi Intel research dataset. Native asset of Bitcoin Cash, a 2017 hard fork of Bitcoin that raised the block size to scale on-chain payments. Shares Bitcoin's 21 million hard cap and SHA-256 proof-of-work, prioritizing low-fee peer-to-peer transactions over Bitcoin's store-of-value emphasis. Native asset of Litecoin, an early Bitcoin fork created by Charlie Lee in 2011. Positioned as the silver to Bitcoin's gold, it uses the Scrypt proof-of-work algorithm with a 2.5-minute block time and an 84 million coin hard cap. Widely supported for low-fee payments and merge-mined with Dogecoin. As of the last data review, BCH ranks #19 by approximate market capitalisation (≈$5B) and LTC ranks #18 (≈$7B).
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Bitcoin Cash (BCH) | Litecoin (LTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Market-cap rank | #19 | #18 |
| Approx market cap (USD) | $5B | $7B |
| Category | Payments L1 | Payments L1 |
| Chain(s) | Bitcoin Cash | Litecoin |
| Token standard | native | native |
| Launched | August 2017 | October 2011 |
| Consensus role | PoW | PoW |
| Issuer type | Decentralized (no single issuer) | Decentralized (no single issuer) |
| Total supply | 21,000,000 | 84,000,000 |
| Circulating supply | 19,700,000 | 74,000,000 |
| Max supply | 21,000,000 | 84,000,000 |
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) in brief
- Native asset of Bitcoin Cash, a 2017 hard fork of Bitcoin that raised the block size to scale on-chain payments. Shares Bitcoin's 21 million hard cap and SHA-256 proof-of-work, prioritizing low-fee peer-to-peer transactions over Bitcoin's store-of-value emphasis.
- Launched August 2017.
- Chain-native asset of Bitcoin Cash.
- Max supply: 21,000,000.
Full profile: Bitcoin Cash (BCH) token page.
Litecoin (LTC) in brief
- Native asset of Litecoin, an early Bitcoin fork created by Charlie Lee in 2011. Positioned as the silver to Bitcoin's gold, it uses the Scrypt proof-of-work algorithm with a 2.5-minute block time and an 84 million coin hard cap. Widely supported for low-fee payments and merge-mined with Dogecoin.
- Launched October 2011.
- Chain-native asset of Litecoin.
- Max supply: 84,000,000.
Full profile: Litecoin (LTC) token page.
Key differences (data view)
- LTC is the larger asset by market capitalisation: rank #18 (≈$7B) versus rank #19 (≈$5B) for BCH.
- LTC is the older asset — launched in 2011, 6 years before BCH (2017).
- They live on different chains — BCH: Bitcoin Cash; LTC: Litecoin.
- Both are classified as Payments L1 assets in the DeFi Intel dataset.
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, BCH or LTC?
Litecoin (LTC) is larger by market capitalisation: approximately $7B (rank #18) versus $5B (rank #19) for BCH, as of the last DeFi Intel data review.
When did Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin launch?
Bitcoin Cash launched in August 2017; Litecoin launched in October 2011.
Are BCH and LTC on the same chain?
No. BCH is on Bitcoin Cash, while LTC is on Litecoin.
Related comparisons
- BCH vs XRP
- LTC vs XRP
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH) token profile
- Litecoin (LTC) token profile
- All DeFi Intel comparisons →
Methodology & sources
Every figure on this page is drawn from the DeFi Intel token research dataset — the same data that powers the BCH and LTC token profiles. Market capitalisations and supply figures are approximate snapshots from the last dataset review, not live quotes. DeFi Intel publishes editorial research, not financial advice.