I can confirm with original identity this account isn't hacked & so isn't b1gsmokes (and others). Just a baseless speculation trying to throw dirt at me and others.
Anyway, back to point:
From original merit thread:
You get merit points when someone sends you some for one of your posts. Additionally, when someone sends you merit points, half of those points can be sent by you to other people.
Lets translate that to our case:
bigsmoke get merit points when kobilica sends him for one of his posts. Additionally, when bigsmoke sends kobilica points, half of those points can be sent to bigsmoke.
We have issue here, this is what happened & it is allowed, as described in official thread. It's 100% logically permitted by rules.
I agree that it's in gray zone, but gray zone is gray, not black. So what mods are doing is executing unwritten/imagined rules.
Second, there was NO trading done. I got no money/crypto or other non-BTT goods from this transaction. Another baseless speculation.