Not really, you can trade ascended shards and energy as well as radiant shards and energy for motes. Most people have a stock pile of strange coins i don't have 100, but it would stop the rich from instantly maxing out, 7 exotic shard's aren't that bad, less than 70 strange coins. You can just dismantle some useless exotic's as well. All in all i feel it's a valid exchange, not game breaking but allows you to get one or more per week.