Shards

Shards are the secondary currency used to purchase items from the shop. Players can purchase them with real money.

As of alpha v0.89 Shards are available to be purchased.
 * Shards are completely optional. We're never going to force you to spend in order to progress.
 * Every item can also be bought for in-game Gold.
 * A limited selection of items can be purchased using Shards.
 * You can now buy Shards – our secondary currency – with real-life cash.
 * Shards and Gold only have an in-game value.
 * You can't cash out.

Here's what the devs have to say about early purchases of Shards:

What happens if you buy Shards before we hit Beta?
 * When Scrolls goes into Open Beta all progress will be reset, including any purchases made with Shards.
 * Your account will be credited with any Shards you've previously purchased.
 * As a good-will gift for buying-in early, all Alpha players will receive a 10 percent bonus of all Shards purchased before Open Beta.
 * For example, if you buy 600 Shards today, your account will be credited with a bonus 60 Shards when the open Beta is released. Your purchases will be reset, leaving you with 660 Shards to spend on whatever you fancy.