That's right! Bitcoin investors don't get a free ride. They get a really death-rattling ride in which their investment could be made worthless at any time.
Bitcoin is extremely high risk, high reward investment.
A few things should be pointed out here:
- by buying bitcoins as an investment, you are forgoing something else that you could have done with that money (a nice dinner, a new ipod, a vacation, a new car, or some other investment)
- by buying bitcoins you are increasing the value of existing bitcoins in circulation, that gives others that hold bitcoins more options to do more things with that additional wealth...such as spend more time working on the bitcoin infrastructure
- by holding bitcoins, you have incentive to help build out that infrastructure to ensure the future value of bitcoins is secure
- by investing in bitcoins you are allocating resources to the bitcoin community rather than allocating them to other types of investment or to consumption
So...I too completely disagree with the premise that it's easy money...it's hard earned money that you've chosen to not use for consumption, but rather to invest in and support an idea that you believe may one day be successful and bring about a positive change for many people.