Why does LTC client sync much faster than BTC

[bitcool]

I have a Linux with both BTC and LTC clients installed, it's only powered up for OS and blockchain updates every few weeks.

One thing I noticed is that even though LTC has four times as many blocks as BTC does, it completes the sync 2~3 times faster every time. but why?

Is this because LTC has smaller packets and smaller packets tend to be faster in P2P networks?

[michaelmclees]

From what I understand, the thing that is difficult with the BTC chain isn't the transfer, but rather the verification on your local machine.

[thebaron]

LTC has a lot fewer transactions per block. Mostly none besides the reward, actually.

[bitcool]

LTC has a lot fewer transactions per block. Mostly none besides the reward, actually.

There may be some truth to it, the average # of LTC transactions is somewhere 4~5 per block,
http://explorer.litecoin.net/chain/Litecoin

an equivalent of 20 transactions per BTC block. OTOH average BTC block has 130 transactions currently.

So, 6~7 times more data and only 2~3 times slower, BTC network doesn't look that bad after all.

[bitcool]

From what I understand, the thing that is difficult with the BTC chain isn't the transfer, but rather the verification on your local machine.

I doubt that, because it's stuck on certain blocks much longer than others and I doubt the numbers of transactions vary that much.