Litecoin (LTC) vs NEAR Protocol (NEAR)

Litecoin is a decentralized, peer-to-peer, open-source digital payment network launched in 2011 by Charlie Lee. It is a blockchain operating on a Proof of Work (PoW) mechanism, and its source code is a fork of Bitcoin's. Litecoin aims to be an alternative to Bitcoin with faster transaction confirmation times and lower fees.

NEAR Protocol, more commonly abbreviated as Near, is a layer 1 blockchain operating on a Proof of Stake (PoS) mechanism. The technological infrastructure of Near uses an innovative sharding method called Nightshade, which enhances transaction processing capacity and network scalability. Developers can create and deploy smart contracts using familiar programming languages, and the Aurora tool allows them to have full compatibility with Ethereum.