It would be more apt to comparing the cost of transacting Bitcoin to that of recycling gold instead of mining it, which is not zero, but is substantially less than mining and that's where again, Bitcoin takes another lump. Recycled gold is useful; it's a precious metal obviously and one immune to most forms of oxidation, so once reclaimed, it can be used again in the next generation of smartphones and what have you.
Gold is however undoubtedly a good comparison pick for Bitcoin; it's something with a few natural pros on it's side that's been hideously overvalued for largely irrational reasons. Like... this metal is advertised as the "right" basis to back currency but I also have some of it in nearly every gadget I own? Then how rare can it possibly be if a small amount comes in a $15 audio decoder for goodness sakes!?
Gold is however undoubtedly a good comparison pick for Bitcoin; it's something with a few natural pros on it's side that's been hideously overvalued for largely irrational reasons. Like... this metal is advertised as the "right" basis to back currency but I also have some of it in nearly every gadget I own? Then how rare can it possibly be if a small amount comes in a $15 audio decoder for goodness sakes!?