Board Thread:Questions and Answers Forum/@comment-5.64.232.31-20140924055211/@comment-24057866-20140925142639

Every MMO revolves around a particular activity that is the way you build your character. For most MMOs, it's XP and leveling up, so trading items and gear doesn't really affect the gameplay at all since you still have to invest just as much in the main activity. Trading large amounts of XP (e.g. the characters themselves) eliminates the whole point of playing at all. This is why although MMOs like World of Warcraft have in-game auction houses, they ban account trading in the Terms of Use.

Destiny is the opposite. The way you build your character is not as much by gaining XP as it is by obtaining and upgrading high-end gear. So if you could buy or trade for better gear without completing any of the more difficult activities, the entire point of playing would be lost. Bungie disallows item trading for the same reason Blizzard disallows account trading: those activities diminish the quality of the player experience by allowing players to completely skip some parts of the game. The only difference is that Blizzard can't feasibly prevent unsanctioned transfers.