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Sunny Ray

litecoin creator regrets building it: just buy bitcoin

the guy who built the "silver to bitcoin's gold" just admitted he wishes he'd never done it.

charlie lee, litecoin's creator, dropped that bomb in a recent podcast. his advice now? buy bitcoin. store it away. don't sell. don't mess with anything else. after years crafting what millions saw as the cheaper, faster alternative... the smarter play... he concludes there was no smarter play. just bitcoin.

this isn't some outsider talking. lee understood the code inside out. had every resource to challenge bitcoin. launched litecoin in 2011 as a lighter, quicker version. it boomed, hit billions in market cap, drew hordes thinking they'd found the next big thing. but now, reflecting on headaches and missed anonymity, he tells his younger self: skip the creation, the stress, the spotlight. grab bitcoin and vanish.

unexpected, right? the man who forked bitcoin to "improve" it regrets the fork. turns out, searching for "the next bitcoin" wastes time. everyone chases upgrades, alternatives, the better version. lee's revelation? bitcoin doesn't need fixing. it needs understanding. its simplicity is its power: fixed supply, no bosses, math over men. litecoin's "digital silver" narrative? copium, a story to justify straying from gold.

concrete lesson from lee's story: he sold his litecoin in 2017 at peaks, stayed in the game, but admits the real wealth came from holding bitcoin quietly. credibility shines—he's credible because he built the rival and walked away wiser. emotionally, it stings for litecoin holders, but frees you from the hunt. seth godin would call it remarkable: the idea that doing less spreads further than overcomplicating.

long term? it means altcoin fever distracts from bitcoin's inevitability. every hour researching "the next" steals from grasping the one. bitcoin's story sticks: simple, unexpected resilience against bans, crashes, doubters. nations stack it, companies treasury it, because it's not a pitch—it's proof.

you're likely chasing something similar right now. a "better" investment, a shortcut project. lee's pivot reminds: the answer hides in plain sight, too simple for egos to accept. understand bitcoin's scarcity, its network, its truth. hold it. let it compound.

the question isn't what comes after bitcoin. it's have you truly grasped what's already here? stop hunting. start holding. the future favors those who see the obvious first.