I know that profit number result in badges, but am not sure if the badges get you anything. There is a way to inflate profits and achieve these badges faster. If you drop your cargo in space, and pick it back up, the game records you not having paid for them and lists your profit as the total sell price for the item.

Eg. Buy swarms for 5000c each. Go to another station. Drop items in space. Pick them up. Sell them for 5500c each. Of 30 cargo my actual profit is 15000c. The game records the profit as 165000c.

Not sure if this is a real problem or 'bug'. But I'm sure it wasn't the intended function of the profit system.

As an idea, the cargo could have a tag as to who bought it, thus preventing this 'bug' if it is picked back up. The profit of full item sell price is legit when cargo is pirated of course.