Litecoin rose 19.9% in 24 hours to about $72.60 as of 10:50 a.m. ET on Thursday, its highest price since January, while Bitcoin slipped 0.6% over the same period. Litecoin has gained about 39% since Aug. 23, compared with Bitcoin’s roughly 8% increase over that period, according to CoinMarketCap data. Futures open interest (the value of outstanding contracts) increased 26% to about $658 million, up more than $130 million, while futures volume reached roughly $1.9 billion, more than five times the approximately $352 million in spot trading tracked by CoinGlass. Liquidations totaled about $4.8 million, including $2.7 million from short positions, suggesting the increase in open interest was much larger than forced position closures. Spot demand remains limited: Canary Capital’s spot Litecoin ETF, trading as LTCC, held about $8.6 million in net assets as of Sept. 22, while Grayscale’s application to convert its Litecoin trust into the LTCN ETF on NYSE Arca had not been approved by the SEC. More than $1 billion, or over 17 million LTC, moved across Litecoin’s blockchain on Sept. 22, according to the Litecoin Foundation. A daily close above $76, Litecoin’s last such close came on Jan. 14, alongside stronger spot volume, would provide evidence that buyers beyond the futures market are supporting the move. A retreat toward $62 with declining open interest would indicate weaker follow-through.