Litecoin’s official X account once again stirred controversy by targeting the XRP community, posting a meme that reignited rivalry between two major cryptocurrency supporters as both coins faced sharp declines in the wake of the latest US midterm elections.
Litecoin’s jab at XRP triggers backlash
The official Litecoin account, which frequently makes provocative remarks about XRP, posted a message that read, “Me finding out I can’t use the word retarded for XRP anymore.” The statement was accompanied by a widely recognized meme featuring football star Lionel Messi nodding in resignation. This post prompted swift and vocal pushback from XRP advocates, who have grown accustomed to Litecoin’s critical commentary over time.
The timing of the post coincided with a downturn in digital asset markets. XRP traded at $1.18, marking an 8.6% drop on the day, following significant Democratic gains in the US congressional elections. Litecoin, for its part, changed hands at $52.75, declining by 4.31% but outperforming XRP in the daily correction.
| Asset | Price | 24h Change |
|---|---|---|
| XRP | $1.18 | -8.6% |
| Litecoin | $52.75 | -4.31% |
Litecoin, established in 2011 as a peer-to-peer digital currency and often described as “the silver to Bitcoin‘s gold,” has a long-standing rivalry with many competing cryptocurrencies, including XRP.
Litecoin’s social account openly mocked XRP with a meme and a controversial remark, immediately drawing hundreds of responses from the XRP community.
History of rivalry and previous incidents
This latest jab was only the most recent in a string of confrontational posts from Litecoin. Previously, the project’s social account compared XRP to “a comet that smells like rotten eggs” and suggested retail investors had been misled into thinking XRP would take over the SWIFT banking system. That earlier statement led to suggestions from some XRP supporters that legal action should be considered against Litecoin for what was viewed as unusually hostile conduct for an official project channel.
At the time, a prominent member of the Litecoin community also commented on real-world payment usage, claiming years of experience managing cryptocurrency payments gateways without ever seeing an XRP transaction processed. This pattern of pointed commentary has ensured ongoing friction between the communities of the two established digital assets.
Mini dictionary: SWIFT is an international financial messaging network that enables banks worldwide to send and receive information about financial transactions in a secure, standardized environment.
XRP supporters respond
The post quickly drew fierce responses from XRP supporters. Some criticized Litecoin’s long-term performance and questioned its right to levy criticism. One community member stated that Litecoin “should be ashamed” of its results compared to other assets such as ZCASH. Another user suggested the official account pick a more appropriate word to describe itself, labeling the behavior “idiotic,” while others took a more confrontational stance, vowing to use similar language for Litecoin instead.
One XRP supporter stated that Litecoin, having underperformed the wider market for several years, lacks standing to comment on competing projects.
Ongoing market and community tension
The recent exchange highlights ongoing differences between the two communities regarding the value and utility of digital assets. Litecoin advocates point to its transparent mining mechanism and on-chain activity, arguing for the coin’s inherent security and efficiency. Meanwhile, XRP supporters cite Ripple’s institutional partnerships and the network’s capabilities for cross-border payments as evidence of practical adoption and long-term relevance.
With XRP trading near its lowest level in months, Litecoin proponents appear emboldened in their criticisms, while the XRP community continues to defend the asset’s value proposition and usage.
