Algorithms

Scrypt

The memory-hard algorithm of Litecoin and Dogecoin — chosen for ASIC resistance in 2011, fully ASIC-dominated since 2014.

Scrypt forces hashing to touch a sizeable scratchpad of memory, which made it expensive to implement in early ASICs and briefly preserved GPU mining. Dedicated Scrypt ASICs arrived anyway in 2014; today machines like the Antminer L9 (16 GH/s) define the network.

Scrypt's economic peculiarity is merged mining: Dogecoin accepts Litecoin's proof-of-work via AuxPoW, so every modern Scrypt miner earns LTC and DOGE simultaneously — often with DOGE contributing half or more of total revenue.

Go Deeper on MiningReturns

→ Scrypt algorithm page
→ Litecoin Mining Guide

Related Terms

Merged Mining (AuxPoW)
ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit)
SHA-256

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