Litecoin Halving
GUIDE · 7 MIN READ
Litecoin Halving
The block reward miners receive is cut in half every 840,000 blocks — roughly every four years. Three halvings have happened; the next is expected in August 2027. Here's the full schedule, history, and what to expect.
The Litecoin halving cuts the block reward miners receive by half every 840,000 blocks — roughly every four years. Past halvings: August 2015 (50 → 25 LTC), August 2019 (25 → 12.5 LTC), August 2023 (12.5 → 6.25 LTC). The next Litecoin halving is expected in August 2027, reducing the block reward from 6.25 LTC to 3.125 LTC. Exact timing depends on actual block-time variance; at the protocol's 2.5-minute target, 840,000 blocks take roughly 1,458 days.
What is the Litecoin halving?
The halving is a protocol-level event that cuts the block reward miners receive by half. It's not a vote, not a decision by a foundation, not an event anyone can delay or accelerate — it happens automatically when the chain reaches a specific block height. Every 840,000 blocks, the reward drops: 50 → 25 → 12.5 → 6.25 → 3.125 → and so on until the reward is effectively zero. This schedule is what enforces Litecoin's 84 million total supply cap. If the block reward never halved, the supply would grow forever at a fixed rate. With halvings, issuance tapers toward zero — the last fractional LTC is mined around the year 2142, at which point the full 84 million is in circulation. For users, halvings matter because (a) they reduce the supply growth rate, which is often priced in by markets, and (b) they affect miner economics — a halved reward means miners need higher LTC prices or lower electricity costs to stay profitable.
Halving schedule
| Feature | Halving # | Date | Block height | Reward after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | Oct 13, 2011 | 0 | 50 LTC | |
| 1st halving | Aug 25, 2015 | 840,000 | 25 LTC | |
| 2nd halving | Aug 5, 2019 | 1,680,000 | 12.5 LTC | |
| 3rd halving | Aug 2, 2023 | 2,520,000 | 6.25 LTC | |
| 4th halving (expected) | ~Aug 2027 | 3,360,000 | 3.125 LTC | |
| 5th halving (expected) | ~2031 | 4,200,000 | 1.5625 LTC | |
| 6th halving (expected) | ~2035 | 5,040,000 | 0.78125 LTC |
Genesis
1st halving
2nd halving
3rd halving
4th halving (expected)
5th halving (expected)
6th halving (expected)
Past halving price impact
2015 (first halving)
Litecoin's first halving happened in August 2015, in a broadly quiet period for crypto markets. LTC traded around $3 at the halving. The subsequent 2017 bull market took LTC to over $350, but attributing that move to the halving specifically is difficult — the whole crypto market boomed regardless.
2019 (second halving)
LTC ran up from around $30 at the start of 2019 to over $140 by late June, widely attributed to halving anticipation. Price fell back to $40 by the actual halving date in August, then further to around $30 by year-end. 'Buy the rumor, sell the news' held.
2023 (third halving)
LTC ran from about $60 in January to $110 in early July, pulled back to around $90 by the August halving, and drifted back into the $60s by year-end. The run-up pattern was similar to 2019, though less dramatic. Note: this analysis is historical fact, not a prediction for 2027.
Pattern caveats
Three data points is not a sufficient statistical basis. Each halving has happened in a different market context — 2015 was crypto-narrative, 2019 was crypto-cycle, 2023 was post-FTX recovery. For 2027, the macro environment and ETF flows will interact with halving dynamics in ways that can't be extrapolated from past cycles. Treat halving-price narratives as context, not forecast.
Impact on miners
The halving cuts miner revenue in LTC terms by 50%. If LTC price stays flat through the halving, miners' dollar revenue halves too — marginal operations (older hardware, higher electricity costs) become unprofitable and shut down. Hashrate typically drops post-halving until the next difficulty adjustment rebalances the economics. If LTC price has risen substantially before the halving (as in 2019), many miners still find operations profitable on a dollar basis. If price has not risen, the hashrate drop is sharper. Historically, Litecoin hashrate has recovered within weeks to months after each halving as less-efficient miners exit and more-efficient miners take over the freed blocks. For users, a temporary post-halving hashrate drop does not practically affect security — the chain remains secured by the remaining hashrate, and difficulty adjusts quickly. For miners considering whether to stay active through a halving, the math is simple: (old revenue × 0.5) + (price change) vs (electricity + hardware) — if the result is positive, keep mining.