The difference is, investing is nothing like a lottery. When you invest, you're putting money to productive economic use. There is some chance of loss, but that

The difference is, investing is nothing like a lottery. When you invest, you're putting money to productive economic use. There is some chance of loss, but that chance doesn't define the investment. When you gamble, you're putting money on a random number. Bitcoin is "meant" to be a currency, so it's really neither thing. But people are definitely gambling on its price fluctuations (just as people gamble with stocks, bonds, real estate, and other commodities).