Over time, with updates this game has accrued a large number of materials and currencies. Allow me to list them:
Glimmer
Weapons Parts
Hadronic Essence
Sapphire Wire
Plasteel Plating
Spinmetal
Helium Filaments
Spirit Bloom
Relic Iron
Motes of Light
Crucible Commendation
Vanguard Commendation
Ascendant Shards
Ascendant Energy
Radiant Shards
Radiant Energy
Exotic Shards
Kind of a mess and as time goes on, the list of useful ones only shifts. So while you end up with piles of useless materials, you've got to grind out new ones.
Why not have a materials / currency exchange. I'd like to dump some of the garbage for something useful (and not have to worry about inventory space for all the trash)