Right now they are used for bragging rights. You can't get anything else from them. So the more you have the better.
In the future you can use them to buy things such as a coffee mug with the sign of the site on it. I would like to know what that sign will be.
If you want some history: In 2003 there was a similar system called the same thing. It was kept track by a piece of paper with usernames and the amount of points on it. You could get points by wining certain games or winning the first $100 contest.
