Litecoin DCA and investment simulator
Compare regular purchases with investing the same total budget at the start. Both use completed LTC/USD closes, historical reference FX where selected, and your trading and withdrawal cost assumptions.
DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging)
Buying a fixed cash amount at regular intervals. DCA spreads entry dates but does not guarantee a lower cost, a profit or protection from falling prices.
For example Buying $25 of LTC every week follows a fixed-cash DCA schedule; each purchase receives a different LTC amount.
Common mistake Assuming regular buying prevents losses, or forgetting that repeated purchases can each carry a fee.
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Drawdown
A decline from an earlier peak to a later value. Maximum drawdown is the largest such fall in a stated series and period. A daily-close calculation can miss intraday losses, and an LTC price drawdown is different from the performance of an account receiving new contributions.
For example A price path from $100 to $80 and then $90 has a 20% maximum drawdown, despite ending only 10% below its start.
Common mistake Pairing a low with a high that happened later, or assuming the underlying price drawdown measures your personal DCA portfolio's losses.
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Weighted Average Cost
A cost per unit found by dividing the relevant total acquisition cost by the corresponding quantity. Larger purchases carry more weight. A gross purchase average and a fee-inclusive cost per retained LTC use different cost and quantity definitions, so they need not match.
For example Buying 1 LTC at $40 and 3 LTC at $60 gives a $55 weighted purchase average before fees: $220 divided by 4 LTC.
Common mistake Averaging the two quoted prices without quantities, or mixing gross purchased LTC with the smaller amount retained after withdrawal deductions.
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Withdrawal Fee
A charge a service applies when you move LTC out of your account. The service sets its own fee and minimum; the quoted charge may differ from the miner fee of the transaction it broadcasts. Check the amount the recipient will receive before confirming.
For example If a service deducts a hypothetical 0.001 LTC fee from a 1 LTC withdrawal, the recipient receives 0.999 LTC; other services may quote the debit differently.
Common mistake Assuming an exchange charge is the network's fixed fee, or confirming without checking the final recipient amount and minimum.
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Slippage
The difference between a trade's expected reference price and its achieved average execution price. The comparison depends on the chosen reference and direction. A saved order-book replay can model visible-depth effects, but it does not measure the price you will actually obtain later.
For example A hypothetical buy expected at $50 but filled at an average $50.10 has 0.20% adverse slippage against that reference, before separate fees.
Common mistake Comparing slippage figures with different baselines or treating historical visible-depth estimates as guaranteed future fills.
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Data Coverage
How much of a stated observation window or expected set is represented by usable records. The denominator may be scheduled polls, candle intervals or another declared sample. Coverage describes availability within that scope, not measurement accuracy or a complete view of the network.
For example If 90 of 96 expected price buckets are available, interval coverage is 93.75%; this says nothing about trades hidden inside those buckets.
Common mistake Reading missing observations as zero activity, or treating high coverage as proof that the sample is unbiased and error-free.
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Loading verified historical prices…
Choose a historical scenario
The budget includes fees: subtract the fixed fee first, then apply the percentage fee to the remainder. A single purchase uses one budget amount; the valuation date stays unchanged.
Historical comparison
What does this result mean?
Blue: DCA value · orange: lump-sum value · gray: cumulative contributions. The final point uses the selected valuation date, including when it is between purchases.
Purchase schedule and calculation details
| Date UTC | Close · budget currency | Trading fee | LTC bought | Total LTC | Contributions | Withdrawal LTC | FX source date | Currency / USD |
|---|
How much did the starting date matter?
The same per-purchase budget and valuation date, starting 1, 3 and 6 months later. Total invested differs because there are fewer contributions. This is a sensitivity table, not a ranking of strategies with equal capital.
| Start | Purchases | Total budget | End value | Return | Price drawdown |
|---|
Source, dates and limitations
Prices are Coinbase Exchange LTC-USD daily closing candles in UTC. The current unfinished day is excluded. The first available date and most recent complete day are shown above. Missing purchase or valuation dates stop a simulation; no neighboring price is substituted.
Monthly purchases retain the original day of the month, clamped to month end where necessary (31 January → 28/29 February → 31 March). Weekly purchases occur every seven calendar days. All values are measured on the selected end date, not at today's live price.
The lump-sum comparison assumes that the full sum of all scheduled budgets is available on the first purchase date. It pays one fixed fee and one percentage fee. DCA pays fees for each purchase. Cash waiting to be invested earns no interest. Daily closing prices are an illustrative execution assumption; spreads, slippage, taxes and intraday timing are excluded. Optional withdrawal fees reduce LTC holdings; fees stay constant throughout the scenario. A fee that consumes the entire pending withdrawal group stops the calculation. DCA withdraws after the chosen number of purchases, plus any pending group at the end; lump sum makes one withdrawal, at the start for the recurring policy or at the end for the end-only policy. A zero-cost setting models no fee.
EUR, GBP and PLN prices use LTC/USD close multiplied by historical ECB currency-per-USD reference FX. This is a synthetic reference price, not a direct LTC/EUR, LTC/GBP or LTC/PLN execution. Weekends and holidays use the last complete reference within seven days; otherwise the simulation stops. Reference rates are normally published before the UTC crypto daily close, so the two observations are not simultaneous. ECB source and timing.
Neither approach guarantees a profit. Source documentation · Track actual transactions · Estimate conversion costs
Which concept do I need?
Open a comparison to see why similar-looking amounts or percentages can differ.
Regular purchases and an equal-budget lump sum
DCA / regular purchases
The per-purchase budget is invested on each scheduled date. Its total budget grows as more purchases occur. Each purchase pays the entered trading fees.
Example: USD 100 on 1 January and USD 100 on 1 February means USD 200 contributed in total.
Read the definitionLump sum
The entire sum of all scheduled budgets is assumed available and invested on the first purchase date. It pays one fixed trading fee and one percentage fee.
Example: For the same two-purchase plan, the comparison invests USD 200 on 1 January.
Read the definitionSingle purchase / What if
This mode invests just one per-purchase budget on the start date and values it on the same selected end date. It does not invest all budgets from the regular schedule.
Example: With a USD 100 budget, this mode invests USD 100 once, rather than USD 200 across two months.
Read the definitionCompare funding assumptions as well as returns. The later-start sensitivity table has fewer contributions and different total capital, so it is not an equal-budget ranking. Past outcomes do not predict future returns.
Cash trading fees and LTC withdrawal deductions
Trading fees
A fixed cash fee is removed from each purchase budget, then the percentage fee applies to the remaining cash. These fees reduce how much cash buys LTC.
Example: USD 100, minus USD 1 fixed and 2% of USD 99, leaves USD 97.02 for LTC.
Read the definitionWithdrawal deductions
A separate LTC charge is removed from acquired coins according to the selected policy. It reduces the final LTC quantity and market value, without increasing cash contributions.
Example: A 0.001 LTC fee deducted twice removes 0.002 LTC from holdings.
Read the definitionNetwork transaction fee
The fee paid to include a blockchain transaction is different from a platform's quoted withdrawal service charge. This simulator uses your entered withdrawal deduction, without inferring the actual network fee.
Read the definitionKeep units separate and avoid counting a bundled fee twice. Zero entered costs model zero costs; they do not establish that a real purchase or withdrawal is free.
Historical valuation, live quotes and price drawdown
Historical valuation
Remaining LTC is valued at the exact selected end-date close. Non-USD cash values use historical reference FX; they are synthetic reference prices rather than direct execution quotes.
Example: A 15 February endpoint remains valued on 15 February even if the live ticker changes.
Read the definitionLive market quote
The current ticker is separate from the backtest. It does not replace a missing purchase-day or end-date close, and it does not revalue the historical result.
Read the definitionLTC price drawdown
The largest peak-to-trough decline among observed daily LTC closes in the selected currency. It is not the drawdown of a portfolio receiving new contributions; intraday and missing observations can hide deeper declines.
Read the definitionCheck dates, currency and data completeness before comparing results. The model excludes spreads, slippage, tax and interest on uninvested cash. No future result is implied.
Budget and reporting currency
Choose the currency for each purchase budget, fixed trading fees and reported cash values. LTC quantities and withdrawal charges remain in LTC.
- Unit
- USD, EUR, GBP or PLN; cash values use the selected currency.
- Where to find it
- Your hypothetical funding currency. Non-USD scenarios use historical ECB currency-per-USD reference rates with completed Coinbase LTC/USD closes.
- Example
- EUR 100 buys at the historical LTC/USD close multiplied by that date's EUR-per-USD reference. This is a synthetic reference price, not a direct LTC/EUR trade.
Historical valuation, live quotes and price drawdown
Historical valuation
Remaining LTC is valued at the exact selected end-date close. Non-USD cash values use historical reference FX; they are synthetic reference prices rather than direct execution quotes.
Example: A 15 February endpoint remains valued on 15 February even if the live ticker changes.
Read the definitionLive market quote
The current ticker is separate from the backtest. It does not replace a missing purchase-day or end-date close, and it does not revalue the historical result.
Read the definitionLTC price drawdown
The largest peak-to-trough decline among observed daily LTC closes in the selected currency. It is not the drawdown of a portfolio receiving new contributions; intraday and missing observations can hide deeper declines.
Read the definitionCheck dates, currency and data completeness before comparing results. The model excludes spreads, slippage, tax and interest on uninvested cash. No future result is implied.
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Budget per purchase
Enter the total cash budget for each scheduled purchase, including its trading fees. The fixed fee is deducted first, then the percentage fee applies to the remaining cash. The budget must exceed the fixed fee.
- Unit
- Selected currency per purchase, greater than zero.
- Where to find it
- The amount you want to model investing on every scheduled date. This is an assumption, not a completed purchase record.
- Example
- A USD 100 budget, USD 1 fixed fee and 2% trading fee leave USD 97.02 to buy LTC: 100 minus 1 minus 1.98.
Regular purchases and an equal-budget lump sum
DCA / regular purchases
The per-purchase budget is invested on each scheduled date. Its total budget grows as more purchases occur. Each purchase pays the entered trading fees.
Example: USD 100 on 1 January and USD 100 on 1 February means USD 200 contributed in total.
Read the definitionLump sum
The entire sum of all scheduled budgets is assumed available and invested on the first purchase date. It pays one fixed trading fee and one percentage fee.
Example: For the same two-purchase plan, the comparison invests USD 200 on 1 January.
Read the definitionSingle purchase / What if
This mode invests just one per-purchase budget on the start date and values it on the same selected end date. It does not invest all budgets from the regular schedule.
Example: With a USD 100 budget, this mode invests USD 100 once, rather than USD 200 across two months.
Read the definitionCompare funding assumptions as well as returns. The later-start sensitivity table has fewer contributions and different total capital, so it is not an equal-budget ranking. Past outcomes do not predict future returns.
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Purchase frequency
Choose weekly or monthly purchases. Weekly means every seven calendar days. Monthly retains the original day of the month, clamped to month end when needed.
- Unit
- One purchase every seven days, or one per calendar month.
- Where to find it
- Your hypothetical purchase schedule. The table shows each generated UTC purchase date.
- Example
- A monthly plan starting on 31 January buys on 28 February in a non-leap year and then on 31 March. It does not drift permanently to the 28th.
Regular purchases and an equal-budget lump sum
DCA / regular purchases
The per-purchase budget is invested on each scheduled date. Its total budget grows as more purchases occur. Each purchase pays the entered trading fees.
Example: USD 100 on 1 January and USD 100 on 1 February means USD 200 contributed in total.
Read the definitionLump sum
The entire sum of all scheduled budgets is assumed available and invested on the first purchase date. It pays one fixed trading fee and one percentage fee.
Example: For the same two-purchase plan, the comparison invests USD 200 on 1 January.
Read the definitionSingle purchase / What if
This mode invests just one per-purchase budget on the start date and values it on the same selected end date. It does not invest all budgets from the regular schedule.
Example: With a USD 100 budget, this mode invests USD 100 once, rather than USD 200 across two months.
Read the definitionCompare funding assumptions as well as returns. The later-start sensitivity table has fewer contributions and different total capital, so it is not an equal-budget ranking. Past outcomes do not predict future returns.
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First purchase date
Choose the first UTC purchase date within the loaded history. This is also when the lump-sum comparison invests the entire scheduled budget. A missing close stops the calculation.
- Unit
- UTC calendar date, YYYY-MM-DD.
- Where to find it
- The historical scenario you want to test, bounded by the verified history dates shown above the form.
- Example
- For monthly USD 100 purchases on 1 January and 1 February, the regular plan invests USD 200 in total; the lump-sum comparison invests USD 200 on 1 January.
Regular purchases and an equal-budget lump sum
DCA / regular purchases
The per-purchase budget is invested on each scheduled date. Its total budget grows as more purchases occur. Each purchase pays the entered trading fees.
Example: USD 100 on 1 January and USD 100 on 1 February means USD 200 contributed in total.
Read the definitionLump sum
The entire sum of all scheduled budgets is assumed available and invested on the first purchase date. It pays one fixed trading fee and one percentage fee.
Example: For the same two-purchase plan, the comparison invests USD 200 on 1 January.
Read the definitionSingle purchase / What if
This mode invests just one per-purchase budget on the start date and values it on the same selected end date. It does not invest all budgets from the regular schedule.
Example: With a USD 100 budget, this mode invests USD 100 once, rather than USD 200 across two months.
Read the definitionCompare funding assumptions as well as returns. The later-start sensitivity table has fewer contributions and different total capital, so it is not an equal-budget ranking. Past outcomes do not predict future returns.
Was this explanation helpful?
Valuation date
Choose the UTC date on which to value the remaining LTC. A scheduled purchase on this date is included. The date can also fall between purchases. Today's unfinished candle is excluded from the available history.
- Unit
- UTC calendar date, on or after the first purchase.
- Where to find it
- The historical endpoint you want to test. Both strategies use the completed close for this exact date, not the current quote.
- Example
- Purchases on 1 January and 1 February can be valued on 15 February. No extra purchase is invented on 15 February.
Historical valuation, live quotes and price drawdown
Historical valuation
Remaining LTC is valued at the exact selected end-date close. Non-USD cash values use historical reference FX; they are synthetic reference prices rather than direct execution quotes.
Example: A 15 February endpoint remains valued on 15 February even if the live ticker changes.
Read the definitionLive market quote
The current ticker is separate from the backtest. It does not replace a missing purchase-day or end-date close, and it does not revalue the historical result.
Read the definitionLTC price drawdown
The largest peak-to-trough decline among observed daily LTC closes in the selected currency. It is not the drawdown of a portfolio receiving new contributions; intraday and missing observations can hide deeper declines.
Read the definitionCheck dates, currency and data completeness before comparing results. The model excludes spreads, slippage, tax and interest on uninvested cash. No future result is implied.
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Percentage trading fee
Enter the percentage trading fee, applied after subtracting the fixed fee from each budget. Lump sum pays this percentage once on its larger available budget. Do not enter a percentage already included in the fixed charge.
- Unit
- Percent, from zero to below 100. Enter 2 for two percent.
- Where to find it
- The venue fee schedule you want to assume for the whole historical scenario. The model does not retrieve past fee schedules.
- Example
- A USD 100 budget minus a USD 1 fixed fee leaves USD 99; a 2% trading fee on that remainder is USD 1.98.
Cash trading fees and LTC withdrawal deductions
Trading fees
A fixed cash fee is removed from each purchase budget, then the percentage fee applies to the remaining cash. These fees reduce how much cash buys LTC.
Example: USD 100, minus USD 1 fixed and 2% of USD 99, leaves USD 97.02 for LTC.
Read the definitionWithdrawal deductions
A separate LTC charge is removed from acquired coins according to the selected policy. It reduces the final LTC quantity and market value, without increasing cash contributions.
Example: A 0.001 LTC fee deducted twice removes 0.002 LTC from holdings.
Read the definitionNetwork transaction fee
The fee paid to include a blockchain transaction is different from a platform's quoted withdrawal service charge. This simulator uses your entered withdrawal deduction, without inferring the actual network fee.
Read the definitionKeep units separate and avoid counting a bundled fee twice. Zero entered costs model zero costs; they do not establish that a real purchase or withdrawal is free.
Was this explanation helpful?
Fixed trading fee per purchase
Enter a separate fixed cash fee for every purchase. It is paid from, rather than added on top of, the budget. DCA pays it repeatedly; the lump-sum comparison pays it once.
- Unit
- Selected currency per purchase, below the per-purchase budget.
- Where to find it
- The fixed charge in the venue fee schedule used for your hypothetical scenario. Enter zero when no separate fixed charge is assumed.
- Example
- Two USD 100 budgets with a USD 1 fixed fee and no percentage fee pay USD 2 of fixed fees. One USD 200 lump-sum purchase pays USD 1.
Cash trading fees and LTC withdrawal deductions
Trading fees
A fixed cash fee is removed from each purchase budget, then the percentage fee applies to the remaining cash. These fees reduce how much cash buys LTC.
Example: USD 100, minus USD 1 fixed and 2% of USD 99, leaves USD 97.02 for LTC.
Read the definitionWithdrawal deductions
A separate LTC charge is removed from acquired coins according to the selected policy. It reduces the final LTC quantity and market value, without increasing cash contributions.
Example: A 0.001 LTC fee deducted twice removes 0.002 LTC from holdings.
Read the definitionNetwork transaction fee
The fee paid to include a blockchain transaction is different from a platform's quoted withdrawal service charge. This simulator uses your entered withdrawal deduction, without inferring the actual network fee.
Read the definitionKeep units separate and avoid counting a bundled fee twice. Zero entered costs model zero costs; they do not establish that a real purchase or withdrawal is free.
Was this explanation helpful?
Withdrawal policy
Choose no modeled withdrawals, a withdrawal after every N purchases plus any final pending group, or one withdrawal on the valuation date. Withdrawal fees reduce LTC holdings, not the entered cash budget.
- Unit
- A policy choice; each applicable withdrawal uses the LTC fee below.
- Where to find it
- Your hypothetical custody and withdrawal schedule. This models deductions only; it does not perform transfers.
- Example
- With three purchases, a recurring interval of two and a 0.001 LTC fee, DCA pays 0.001 LTC after the second purchase and another 0.001 LTC for the final pending group.
Cash trading fees and LTC withdrawal deductions
Trading fees
A fixed cash fee is removed from each purchase budget, then the percentage fee applies to the remaining cash. These fees reduce how much cash buys LTC.
Example: USD 100, minus USD 1 fixed and 2% of USD 99, leaves USD 97.02 for LTC.
Read the definitionWithdrawal deductions
A separate LTC charge is removed from acquired coins according to the selected policy. It reduces the final LTC quantity and market value, without increasing cash contributions.
Example: A 0.001 LTC fee deducted twice removes 0.002 LTC from holdings.
Read the definitionNetwork transaction fee
The fee paid to include a blockchain transaction is different from a platform's quoted withdrawal service charge. This simulator uses your entered withdrawal deduction, without inferring the actual network fee.
Read the definitionKeep units separate and avoid counting a bundled fee twice. Zero entered costs model zero costs; they do not establish that a real purchase or withdrawal is free.
Was this explanation helpful?
Purchases per withdrawal
Enter the whole number of purchases to group before each recurring withdrawal. This interval affects the recurring policy only. The final incomplete group is withdrawn on the valuation date.
- Unit
- A whole number of purchases, from 1 to 120.
- Where to find it
- Your hypothetical withdrawal schedule. An interval of one means a withdrawal after every purchase.
- Example
- Five purchases with an interval of two create withdrawals after purchases two and four, plus one final withdrawal for purchase five.
Cash trading fees and LTC withdrawal deductions
Trading fees
A fixed cash fee is removed from each purchase budget, then the percentage fee applies to the remaining cash. These fees reduce how much cash buys LTC.
Example: USD 100, minus USD 1 fixed and 2% of USD 99, leaves USD 97.02 for LTC.
Read the definitionWithdrawal deductions
A separate LTC charge is removed from acquired coins according to the selected policy. It reduces the final LTC quantity and market value, without increasing cash contributions.
Example: A 0.001 LTC fee deducted twice removes 0.002 LTC from holdings.
Read the definitionNetwork transaction fee
The fee paid to include a blockchain transaction is different from a platform's quoted withdrawal service charge. This simulator uses your entered withdrawal deduction, without inferring the actual network fee.
Read the definitionKeep units separate and avoid counting a bundled fee twice. Zero entered costs model zero costs; they do not establish that a real purchase or withdrawal is free.
Was this explanation helpful?
Fee per withdrawal
Enter the LTC deducted for each modeled withdrawal. The same fee is assumed throughout the scenario. A fee that consumes an entire pending group stops the simulation. It is ignored by the no-withdrawal-costs policy.
- Unit
- LTC per withdrawal, entered in LTC rather than cash or percent.
- Where to find it
- The platform withdrawal charge you want to assume. This service charge can differ from the transaction's blockchain network fee; historical fees are not looked up.
- Example
- A 0.001 LTC deduction from a group containing 0.5 LTC leaves 0.499 LTC. It is not also added as a cash trading fee.
Cash trading fees and LTC withdrawal deductions
Trading fees
A fixed cash fee is removed from each purchase budget, then the percentage fee applies to the remaining cash. These fees reduce how much cash buys LTC.
Example: USD 100, minus USD 1 fixed and 2% of USD 99, leaves USD 97.02 for LTC.
Read the definitionWithdrawal deductions
A separate LTC charge is removed from acquired coins according to the selected policy. It reduces the final LTC quantity and market value, without increasing cash contributions.
Example: A 0.001 LTC fee deducted twice removes 0.002 LTC from holdings.
Read the definitionNetwork transaction fee
The fee paid to include a blockchain transaction is different from a platform's quoted withdrawal service charge. This simulator uses your entered withdrawal deduction, without inferring the actual network fee.
Read the definitionKeep units separate and avoid counting a bundled fee twice. Zero entered costs model zero costs; they do not establish that a real purchase or withdrawal is free.
Was this explanation helpful?