The only difference is that virtual in-game currency must be purchased in order to redeem a gacha. It was popularized through Japanese games and can be used as a synonym for loot boxes. Like the mechanism of a capsule toy, you can only purchase a capsule without knowing what is inside.
Gacha, a Japanese word for “capsule toys”, is quite similar to the function of loot boxes. Items that can be obtained are randomly output, thus making the micro-transaction an investment in luck and probability. However, a purchase of a box does not guarantee the purchase of the item a player may be after, but only a chance to redeem it. Players use cash or credit card options to purchase in-game loot boxes containing items. Loot boxes are a function that entails an in-app micro-transaction, usually found in games.
