user99: Money is often seen as having various functions, such as "medium of exchange" (something useful for conducting transactions, and "store of value" (something valuable as an investment).
Was bitcoin designed to provide both functions, or just one?  How does it mainly function today?

user909: Today, due to relative low acceptance rate, it doesn't fulfill it's role as a medium of exchange anywhere near potential. Instead the largest amount of transactions is, as with regular money, people speculating on it's future value.
It's important to look not at what it's meant to be, not at what it is, but how it works out for people. Occam's razor applies rigorously, the way something works is how it works for you. Don't complicate it.
In the near future it can be used interchangeably with any currency. The question of whether or not it is one is therefore irrelevant. It will be the only currency-like to be safe, certain, quick and cheap all at once. Let's not argue syntax, let's argue semantics.

user85: Today, it primarily serves as a store of value. It is inherently more useful as a medium of exchange, its intended purpose. Perhaps a bit ironically, its expected future usefulness as a medium of exchange is what is driving its present usefulness as a store of value. The thinking is that if you get them now when they're cheap, in the future when they're used as a medium of exchange (and thus there's much more demand) they'll be worth more.

99: <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money">Money</a> is often seen as having various functions, such as "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_of_exchange">medium of exchange</a>" (something useful for conducting transactions, and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Store_of_value">store of value</a>" (something valuable as an investment).</p>

<p>Was bitcoin designed to provide both functions, or just one?  How does it mainly function today?</p>
 909: <p>Today, due to relative low acceptance rate, it doesn't fulfill it's role as a medium of exchange anywhere near potential. Instead the largest amount of transactions is, as with regular money, people speculating on it's future value.</p>

<p>It's important to look not at what it's meant to be, not at what it is, but how it works out for people. Occam's razor applies rigorously, the way something works is how it works for you. Don't complicate it.</p>

<p>In the near future it can be used interchangeably with any currency. The question of whether or not it is one is therefore irrelevant. It will be the only currency-like to be safe, certain, quick and cheap all at once. Let's not argue syntax, let's argue semantics.</p>
 85: <p>Today, it primarily serves as a store of value. It is inherently more useful as a medium of exchange, its intended purpose. Perhaps a bit ironically, its expected future usefulness as a medium of exchange is what is driving its present usefulness as a store of value. The thinking is that if you get them now when they're cheap, in the future when they're used as a medium of exchange (and thus there's much more demand) they'll be worth more.</p>
