Litecoin vs
Bitcoin Cash
Two answers to "Bitcoin, but for payments". Litecoin launched in 2011 as a friendly complement — faster blocks, different mining algorithm, never claiming to replace Bitcoin; Bitcoin Cash forked away in 2017's civil war over block size, claiming to be Bitcoin's true vision. Litecoin kept broader exchange support and a quieter history; BCH kept the ideological fire and further splits.
12 months, both starting at 100 (AUD)
LTC → 49 · BCH → 52| Measure | LTC | BCH |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | A$6.8B | A$9.7B |
| Rank | #25 | #21 |
| Price | A$87.35 | A$481.18 |
| 90-day change (AUD) | +46.2% | +78.8% |
| 12-month change (AUD) | −45.7% | −42.8% |
| From all-time high | −83.3% | −90.3% |
| Supply model | Capped: 84.0M max | Capped: 21.0M max |
| AU exchanges we verify it on | 3 | 2 |
About Litecoin
Litecoin, launched in 2011, is one of the oldest surviving cryptocurrencies — a Bitcoin fork with faster blocks and a larger supply, long marketed as "silver to Bitcoin's gold" and still widely supported for payments.
About Bitcoin Cash
Bitcoin Cash split from Bitcoin in 2017 over a dispute about block sizes, prioritising cheap on-chain payments over Bitcoin's conservatism. It shares Bitcoin's fixed-supply design but commands a small fraction of its value and security.
FAQ
Which is bigger, Litecoin or Bitcoin Cash?
By market value today: Bitcoin Cash (A$9.7B vs A$6.8B). Size measures money invested, not quality — but it does measure liquidity, which affects how easily you can buy and sell.
Which performed better this year?
Over the past 12 months in AUD terms: LTC −45.7%, BCH −42.8% — the chart above shows the whole path, which matters more than the endpoints. Past performance is no indicator of future results, in either direction.
Can I buy both in Australia?
Yes — both are listed on AUSTRAC-registered exchanges we verify. LTC appears on 3 of our reviewed platforms and BCH on 2. Compare costs first on the fee calculator, and remember every crypto-to-crypto swap between them is a CGT event.
Should I hold LTC or BCH?
That's a personal decision we don't make for you — this page exists to make the structural differences clear so the choice is yours. What we'd say to anyone: understand what job each coin is designed for, size positions like the risk is real, and check the honest failure statistics before going further down the market-cap list.
Data from our market records (powered by CoinGecko), refreshed with the daily rebuild. General information only, not financial advice — we compare structure and history, we don't pick winners.