I don’t know if it is true that people are selling merit for $20/each
I remember that number from
this post.
If there is truth to that, I would say it is evidence of a market that is not vibrant and inefficient. I would see that as a good thing because it shows that it is difficult to trade merit.
I'm pretty sure Merit sales happen, but only for small amounts. Not many people have enough sMerit to rank someone up to a higher rank, and nobody is going to pay any significant amount per sMerit if they need 1000 of them.