Released in 2011, Litecoin (LTC) uses the same basic structure as Bitcoin. Key differences include a higher programmed supply limit (84 million units) and a shorter target blockchain creation time (2.5 minutes).
Like all cryptocurrencies, the majors are digital assets that secure and verify transactions using computer science and complex mathematics, known as cryptography. Unlike traditional (‘fiat’) currencies, they are not currently issued or backed by a central authority such as a government. Instead, they run across a network of computers and are underpinned by blockchain technology – a permanent record of transactions that cannot be altered without the consensus of the network.

But the hacks didn’t stop. In 2016, the DAO–a blockchain organization that was based on Ethereum–lost what was worth $50 million at the time, due to a technical error someone seized upon. This, once again, sent shockwaves through the community–but also had the unfortunate impact of normalizing these types of hacks for some people.
No matter if crypto is going up or down, the best thing you can do is to not look at it. Set it and forget it like you would any traditional long-term investment account. “If you let your emotions get too much into it then you could sell at the wrong time, or you might make the wrong decision,” says Yang. “You stress out about it, and I don’t think that’s a healthy way to approach it.”