Litecoin Marks 15 Years Since Scheduled Network Launch in 2011

Litecoin (LTC) reached 15 years of network activity at 11 p.m. ET on Oct. 12 (03:00 UTC on Oct. 13), counting from its scheduled launch in 2011 and marking a milestone for one of the crypto market’s longest-running networks.

Charlie Lee set the launch for 3 a.m. GMT on Oct. 13, 2011, in an announcement published under the username “coblee.” Litecoin was introduced as a Bitcoin-based cryptocurrency using Scrypt proof-of-work, with a target block interval of 2.5 minutes and an 84 million-coin supply cap.

The network’s protocol has changed since launch. Litecoin activated Segregated Witness, or SegWit, in 2017. Miners have also been able to merge-mine Dogecoin since 2014, allowing the same proof-of-work process to secure both networks.

MimbleWimble Extension Blocks, known as MWEB, activated around May 20, 2022. The feature supports optional confidential transactions on the network.

Litecoin’s current block reward is 6.25 LTC. The next halving is expected around July 2027, when the reward is expected to decline to 3.125 LTC.

U.S. market access has also developed. An SEC Form 8-A12B filing for the Canary Litecoin ETF was dated Oct. 27, 2025, while the fund’s fact sheet lists the same date as its inception. The filing date and inception date do not by themselves establish a trading or listing date.

Lite Strategy’s disclosures listed 929,548 LTC as of Sept. 30, 2025, and 832,716 LTC as of June 30, 2026. The figures represent separate holdings reported at different dates.

Litecoin’s documented design continues to center on its fixed supply, while SegWit, merged mining and MWEB represent later changes to the network’s protocol and privacy features.