I don’t think so. Gambling plays in pure chance. There’s really no strategy involved nor there is some kind of mathematical or even historical patterns to follow. However, with trading an investor can mitigate risks by following historical patterns and setting entry and exit points.
Honestly your friend lost a lot. One could regain it all back if invested in the right coin but since we are talking about bitcoin, he can definitely regain it all back if he just held it for longer. Altcoins are far better options for trading because of its volatility.
I agree here. For example buying stocks in companies.
If you flip a coin and base on the outcome of this the decision to buy or not to buy, you are gambling. Like betting on black or red when playing Roulette.
If you do some research on future trends and the details on the companies finances and come to a conclusion about the possible risk, then you are trading based on your view on this specifc company. In case your investment goe swrong, you can analyse the reasons and improve your decision making process for the next trade. Over time you can improve to a dgree that allows you to make serious money. But at the beginning some losses are to be expected....