# Litecoin API

The Crypto APIs Litecoin API, part of the Blockchain API, lets you read balances, transactions, blocks and unspent outputs and send LTC without running a node. One API key covers mainnet and testnet. Webhooks tell your server when a payment confirms, and we never hold your private keys.

## Key facts

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Networks | Mainnet, Testnet |
| Model | UTXO |
| Endpoints | 48 |
| Confirmations webhook | Yes, per address |
| Custody | Non-custodial, you sign |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card |

## How do I get the latest Litecoin block?

Send one GET request with your API key; the same request works on testnet when you replace mainnet with testnet in the path.

```
curl https://rest.cryptoapis.io/blocks/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/latest/details \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

## Which Litecoin endpoints are available?

The main calls. Every path takes the network: mainnet or testnet.

| What it does | Method and path | Reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Latest block | `GET /blocks/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/latest/details` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/blocks-utxos/get-last-mined-block-utxos/get) |
| Block by height | `GET /blocks/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/height/{blockHeight}/details` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/blocks-utxos/get-block-details-by-block-height-utxos/get) |
| Address balance | `GET /addresses-latest/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/{address}/balance` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/address-latest-utxos/get-address-balance-utxos/get) |
| Unspent outputs of an address | `GET /addresses-historical/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/{address}/unspent-outputs` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/address-history-utxos/list-unspent-transaction-outputs-by-address-utxos/get) |
| Transactions of an address | `GET /addresses-latest/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/{address}/transactions` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/address-latest-utxos/list-confirmed-transactions-by-address-utxos/get) |
| Transaction by hash | `GET /transactions/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/{transactionHash}` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/transactions-data-utxos/get-transaction-details-by-transaction-hash-utxos/get) |
| Fee recommendations | `GET /blockchain-fees/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/mempool` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/blockchain-fees-utxos/get-fee-recommendations-utxos/get) |
| Derive addresses from an xPub | `GET /utils/litecoin/mainnet/xpubs/{extendedPublicKey}/derive-addresses` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/features/derive-hd-wallet-xpub-ypub-zpub-change-or-receiving-addresses/get) |
| Prepare an unsigned transaction | `POST /prepare-transactions/utxo/litecoin/mainnet/native-coins` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/prepare-transactions-utxo/prepare-transaction-from-address-utxo/post) |
| Broadcast a signed transaction | `POST /broadcast-transactions/litecoin/mainnet` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/broadcast-locally-sign-transactions/broadcast-locally-signed-transaction/post) |
| Webhook on a confirmed payment | `POST /blockchain-events/litecoin/mainnet/address-coins-transactions-confirmed` | [Docs](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/v-2.2024-12-12-175/RESTapis/create-subscriptions-for/new-confirmed-coins-transactions/post) |

## Litecoin API questions

**Is there a free Litecoin API?** You can try it free for 14 days. The Blockchain API free trial covers Litecoin and every feature, with no card. It ends after 14 days or when its credits run out; after that, calls need a subscription, listed on the pricing page.

**How do I get the balance of a Litecoin address?** Call the address balance endpoint with the address; it returns the confirmed balance in LTC. For the spendable coins, list the address's unspent outputs (UTXOs).

**How do I broadcast a Litecoin transaction?** Sign the transaction on your own server, then send the signed raw transaction to the broadcast endpoint, authenticated with your API key, and Crypto APIs pushes it to the Litecoin network and returns the transaction ID. We can prepare the unsigned transaction for you first.

**Do you support Litecoin testnet?** Yes. Every Litecoin endpoint works on mainnet and testnet. Change mainnet to testnet in the path; the same API key works on both.

**What makes Litecoin different to work with?** It is a UTXO chain — balances are the sum of unspent outputs, not a single account figure. Because there is no account balance to read, spending means selecting unspent outputs and handling change. Crypto APIs does that selection for you in prepare-transactions, so you sign one prepared transaction rather than assembling inputs yourself.

**How do I know when a Litecoin transaction is confirmed?** Create a webhook subscription for the address. Crypto APIs calls your URL when a transaction to or from it confirms on Litecoin.

## Litecoin vs. Bitcoin

Litecoin was created in 2011 as a fork of Bitcoin. It changes parts of Bitcoin’s design to confirm transactions faster and at lower fees.

Litecoin includes considerable improvements over Bitcoin’s model. It produces significantly more coins, has faster transaction and processing speed, and uses a newer and better cryptographic algorithm - Scrypt. Litecoin also generates a new block 4 times faster.

| About Litecoin | |
| --- | --- |
| Released | 2011 |
| Consensus | Proof of Work (PoW) |
| Block time | 2.5 minutes |
| Smart contracts | No |

## Other UTXO chains, same request shape

- [Bitcoin API](/chains/bitcoin)
- [Bitcoin Cash API](/chains/bitcoin-cash)
- [Dogecoin API](/chains/doge)

## Pointers

- [Blockchain API](/products/blockchain-api)
- [All networks](/what-we-support)
- [Pricing](/pricing)
- [Developer portal](https://developers.cryptoapis.io/)