The creator of Litecoin, Charlie Lee, continues to information us by reminiscence lane. For half one, he took us by Litecoin’s honest launch. Contemplating the small variety of initiatives which have managed to do that, it’s a reasonably large achievement. As we speak, for half two, we’re going to cowl the venture’s relation with cryptocurrency exchanges. Charlie Lee wears his coronary heart on his sleeve for this one, and tells a heartfelt story that results in betrayal. Can you are feeling the joy within the air?
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This a part of the story is all about relationships, connections, and the lengthy street to credibility. It’s additionally about Charlie Lee’s resistance and willpower.
Earlier than we get into the meat and potatoes of the story, although, a lightweight element that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Charlie Lee Offers Flowers To The Litecoin Brand Creators
There’s not a lot story to the logos, nevertheless it’s cool that Charlie Lee offers credit score the place credit score is due. The primary and the second present evolution:
The second brand was designed by @mjbmetals. I nonetheless like that rather a lot. It seems to be properly subsequent to that Bitcoin brand.https://t.co/T5hzEldonI pic.twitter.com/Uy5qpl8JUP
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 7, 2021
And the ultimate one is a simplification of the second:
And the present brand is designed by Robbie Coleman (@robertfcoleman) and his crew.
In fact being decentralized, there are various different logos that folks have created and used. Some are fairly wacky. And folks can use no matter brand they need and I can not do something about it. 😂 pic.twitter.com/M7FgBcGPum
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 7, 2021
That being mentioned, let’s get again to the story.
LTC value chart for 10/09/2021 on Coinbase | Supply: LTC/USD on TradingView.com
Litecoin’s Lengthy Onerous Highway To Trade Listings
This contradicts the title, however, in 2011 Litecoin was instantly listed within the defunct BTC-e. The positioning was a reasonably profitable cryptocurrency alternate that fell into shame when the US Justice Division accused them of laundering funds from the Mt. Gox hack, however that’s one other story. Concerning Litecoin, Charlie Lee tells us that the itemizing, “helped quite a bit as miners had entry to liquidity fairly shortly. Litecoin shortly change into one of the vital in style coin on BTC-e.”
From 2011 to 2013, I spent a number of time supporting Litecoin’s early development and pushed for adoption wherever I can. I just about talked to all of the exchanges to help LTC. I noticed that liquidity is tremendous essential for a coin. With out liquidity, you may’t do something.
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 7, 2021
Nevertheless, regardless that Lee “just about talked to all of the exchanges to help LTC,” it was two years later that the second listed Litecoin. Bitfinex took an opportunity on the nascent venture, “This was an enormous deal for Litecoin. It’s the primary main alternate to help LTC.”
On the Bitcoin 2013 convention, I keep in mind attending a chat by Bitstamp Co-Founder and CEO Nejc Kodrič( @nejc_kodric). Throughout the Q&A after the speak, I requested him if Bitstamp will add Litecoin. I feel he simply chuckled and went to the subsequent query.
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 7, 2021
Then, Charlie Lee keep in mind how he tried to get the CEO of Bitstamp to checklist them and he laughed him off. Solely to checklist the coin in 2017. The identical factor occurred with BitPay, who ended up supporting Litecoin solely this 12 months.
The Chinese language exchanges, although, listed Litecoin from the start. “Someday late 2012 to early 2013, 2 of the most important exchanges in China, Okcoin and Huobi, added help for LTC. That was large.” A query arises, did Charlie Lee must throw shade at these two exchanges this difficult? “The buying and selling quantity was additionally fairly loopy, however unclear how a lot of that was fabricated.”
In 2013, I assumed it was time for me to step away from Litecoin. I used to be very lucky to seek out Warren Togami (@wtogami), Founding father of the Fedora Venture, to take over as Litecoin lead developer. Warren is wonderful and we have been very fortunate to have him on the helm of growth.
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 7, 2021
Charlie Lee And Coinbase, A Love Story
So, in 2013 Charlie Lee steps down as Litecoin’s lead developer and leaves the job to Warren Togami. On the identical time, he leaves a high-paying job at Google as a result of they weren’t curious about something crypto-related. That’s when Coinbase will get into the image. Lee contacts them to see in the event that they’re curious about itemizing Litecoin they usually find yourself hiring him as a substitute.
I interviewed at Coinbase and on paper, it gave the impression of a horrible deal. I must commute to SF, which was an hour every means, take a 50% or so pay minimize, work twice as exhausting, and miss out on all of the Google perks. Nevertheless it was a no brainer for me.
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 8, 2021
In accordance to Charlie Lee, “Coinbase was the recent startup and THE crypto firm that’s making Bitcoin simple to make use of. I knew that if Bitcoin didn’t succeed, Litecoin wasn’t going anyplace both.” A chilly exhausting fact that the entire Altcoins must dwell with to this present day. Moreover that, Lee needed to ultimately persuade Coinbase to help Litecoin. How may he not?
However at the least he created a cool banner for it. 😁https://t.co/7BToh7YNdX
After that, there have been rumors of @MtGox lastly including its second coin, Litecoin. On the time MtGox had like 97% of the full Bitcoin buying and selling quantity. Help of LTC can be large for Litecoin’s liquidity. pic.twitter.com/rfBhA7z1Pm
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 8, 2021
The Chinese language connection paid off and the BTC China, lead by Charlie Lee’s brother, listed the coin. “Though it was an enormous information, what took him so lengthy?!,” asks Lee hilariously. Additionally discover that the banner that he mentions performs on the truth that Charlie and Bobby are brothers.
In 2015, there have been rumors that the notorious Mt. Gox alternate was going to checklist Litecoin. On the time, this was THE place to be. Charlie Lee lastly confirms the story, “The rumors have been really true. I used to be speaking to the CEO, Mark Karpelès virtually each day in mid 2015.” Nevertheless, the Mt. Gox hack was uncovered earlier than they materialized these plans. And all hell broke free. “In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise.”
Then, because it occurs, issues turned bitter within the Charlie Lee and Coinbase romance.
That modified although in 2016. The was when Litecoin commerce quantity exploded on Chinese language exchanges and it was clear to me that Coinbase was leaving some huge cash on the desk by not supporting altcoins. And it made enterprise sense for Coinbase so as to add altcoins.
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 8, 2021
The Brian Armstrong tweet he refers to says: “Ripple, Stellar, and Altcoins are all a distraction. Bitcoin is means too far forward. We must be centered on bitcoin and sidechains.” Wow. What would the Brian Armstrong of the current say about that assertion?
Anyway, in 2016 Litecoin’s buying and selling quantity was exploding within the Chinese language exchanges and Charlie Lee noticed his alternative. “This was additionally when Ethereum was beginning to get huge. So I put collectively a proposal to Brian and Fred Ehrsam so as to add each LTC and ETH to Coinbase.” The proposal’s thesis was that, since folks within the US had no simple means to purchase, retailer, and commerce these cash, there was “a number of unhappy demand.” And Coinbase may make some huge cash.
There was a number of unhappy demand. Folks within the US had no simple solution to retailer and commerce these cash. And Coinbase would steal a lion share of the demand if we added the two cash to start out.
Each Brian and Fred like the thought however they crossed out LTC. They simply need to do ETH.
— Charlie Lee (@SatoshiLite) October 8, 2021
Right here it’s: betrayal. The 2 Coinbase executives broke Charlie Lee’s coronary heart by accepting the proposal, however just for Ethereum. “Though I went together with the plan, it sort of rubbed me the flawed means. Litecoin had a a lot larger international commerce quantity on the time and was the #2 coin in marketcap.” A short time later, Lee took three months of Coinbase to concentrate on his venture.
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Within the subsequent episode, Litecoin’s story intertwines with Bitcoin’s and the controversial Segwit implementation. We’re going to find that Charlie Lee and his crew have been instrumental on this. How? Tune in to seek out out.
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