What Is Cryptocurrency & Is Investing In Crypto Safe?
Confused by all the concepts & jargon surrounding cryptocurrencies? Don’t be! Read this blog to find out what cryptocurrencies are all about and understand how they work.
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In a world that’s highly centralized when it comes to all things money, Bitcoin proved that you can create a digital currency that’s disruptive, functional, and a store of value.
That said, Bitcoin isn’t perfect. Its limitations include relatively slow transaction speeds, costly fees, a scarce number of coins, and more. These gaps were spotted early on by Charlie Lee and Evan Duffield.
Both developers were inspired by Bitcoin and built on its concept to take their own digital currencies to the next level. Litecoin was forked from Bitcoin while Dash was forked from Litecoin.
While Dash and Litecoin were born from the same concept, their differences stand out. In fact, the differences are the reason why Dash Coin once crossed $1550 while Litecoin rocketed to $350 in late 2017.
Litecoin predates Dash by approximately 3 years. That's why we’ll begin with an overview of LTC and move on to the origin of Dash, which is super interesting.
Litecoin (ticker: LTC) is a digital currency that can be used for payments across the globe. It’s built on an open-source network powered by the blockchain and superior mathematics.
Litecoin was and continues to be marketed as a faster, stronger, and better version of Bitcoin that could complete transactions 4x quicker back when it was introduced in 2011 by Charlie Lee.
There were more features of Litecoin that made it a lucrative proposition over other altcoins. For example, it is open source and adapts to changes in the evolving field of crypto and blockchain.
Transactions on the Litecoin network are affordable. They’re also known to carry a higher degree of security due to the lightning-quick transaction speed. You can consult a Cube Wealth coach or download a Cube Wealth App.
LTC was trading at an all-time high of more than $350 in late 2017 with strong fundamentals at the coin and project level. However, other altcoins and Bitcoin itself soon caught up with Litecoin.
Features like SegWit were known to be one of the main USPs of Litecoin but Bitcoin embraced it. While Litecoin was in its heyday in 2017, founder Charlie Lee decided to sell most of his LTC holdings.
This action that stemmed from a supposed conflict of interest and a string of tweets from Lee seemed to have hampered the price of LTC as its value halved in the span of a month.
What happens when you put Digital and Cash together? Dash. That’s the logic behind the name of digital currency that built upon the core concept of Litecoin and Bitcoin.
Believe it or not, Dash was originally called XCoin and then Darkcoin before being rebranded to Dash in 2015. In simple terms, Dash is a cryptocurrency that can be used to send and receive payments.
Just like Litecoin, Dash was designed to be better than Bitcoin in certain ways. In fact, Dash became the world’s first self-funded and governed blockchain protocol in the process.
Furthermore, Dash is principally faster than Litecoin. Transactions take between 1 to 4 seconds on the Dash network with the InstantSend option compared to 2.5 minutes on Litecoin’s.
Dash is known to be highly secure with features like the PrivateSend option and trustless protocol. But even with these highlights, DASH just like LTC has its own issues as you’ll notice later on.
Litecoin outnumbers Dash coins in terms of circulating supply. There can only ever be 18.9 million Dash Coins in existence whereas Litecoin’s lifetime supply is capped at 84 million.
As we’re on the subject of circulating supply, it’ll be useful to discuss Litecoin and Dash mining. Dash incentivizes miners with a little over 3 Dash per block that’s mined.
Jog back to the fundamentals of Litecoin and you’ll notice that miners receive 12.5 LTC per block mined. This puts Litecoin mining at a little over $1930 per block while Dash mining yields more than $447.
The disparity between the mining rewards may be indicative of the crash that DASH experienced between late 2017 and early 2018 just like LTC. It is prone to rampant volatility and fluctuations. You can consult a Cube Wealth coach or download a Cube Wealth App.
Experts point to a lack of insights and reserved investor behaviour among factors that pushed DASH from $1550 in December 2017 to approximately $81 just a year later.
Dash and Litecoin have proven that their projects have real-world promise and use cases. What stands in the way of their progress is mass adoption, among other factors like investor psychology.
These factors have been known to have an impact on altcoins like DASH and LTC, a phenomenon that would explain why they are still approximately 30% to 85% off their all-time highs.
Thus, investors must exercise caution when investing in any altcoin like DASH and LTC. A thorough analysis of the project, adoption, track record, and other factors is a must before taking a decision. You can consult a Cube Wealth coach or download a Cube Wealth App.
Ans. One of the main differences is the consensus mechanism. Dash uses a two-tier network with miners and masternodes, while Litecoin relies on a more traditional proof-of-work system. Dash also offers features like InstantSend and PrivateSend, which are not present in Litecoin.
Ans. Dash is known for its faster transaction confirmation times, thanks in part to its InstantSend feature, which enables near-instantaneous transactions. Litecoin also offers faster transaction times compared to Bitcoin but is generally slower than Dash.
Ans. Both Dash and Litecoin have established a degree of recognition and adoption. However, Litecoin tends to be more recognized and widely accepted as a means of payment in various online and offline establishments.
Ans. Dash is often used for quick and secure transactions, making it suitable for everyday purchases and remittances. Litecoin, while also suitable for daily transactions, is sometimes considered more as a store of value like Bitcoin.
Dash and Litecoin are both prominent cryptocurrencies that have carved out unique niches within the digital currency ecosystem. Dash's focus on fast and low-cost transactions, facilitated by features like InstantSend, has made it a preferred choice for quick, everyday transactions and remittances.
The choice between Dash and Litecoin largely depends on individual needs and preferences. Dash excels in terms of transaction speed and certain privacy features, while Litecoin is more widely recognized and accepted as a method of payment. Both cryptocurrencies contribute to the diversity and innovation of the cryptocurrency space, allowing users to select the one that best aligns with their specific requirements and use cases.
Note: Facts & figures are true as of 13-12-2021. None of the information shared here is to be construed as investment advice. Exercise caution when investing in unregulated assets like cryptocurrency.
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