The client program✃ was made to connect ESEA's more than 500,000 members--and to make sure nobody cheated. It wasn't supposed to use the m🔯embers of the gaming league's processors and graphics cards to mine Bitcoins, but it did that too.

From April 13 until today, 🔯ESEA co-founder Craig "Torbull" Levine says, an unscupulous employee used supposedly inactive code to mine Bitcoins--a form of distributed computing which sustains the electronic currency's transactions, and is in turn rewarded with it.

. "We are extremely disappointed and concerned by the unauthorized actions of this unauthorized individual. As of this morning, ESEA has made sure that all Bitcoin mining has stopped. ESEA is also in the process of taking all necessary steps internally to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again."

The unauthorized code was deactivated and removed after an outraged user discovered an oddly strenuou🐈s load on his graphics card, and posted his or her conclusions to the .

Levine says the total valu𒅌e mined equals $3,713.55. The league plans to increase its next tournament's prize pot by𝓡 the same amount, and give double that to the American Cancer Society. It's also inviting any who suspect their hardware was damaged by the strain to file a support ticket.

Why was the code th🦩ere to begin with? Levine says it was an experimental user option, and only ever activated on two consenting administrators' accounts. They decided it was to pursue any further after initial tests.

For more, check out the coꦦverage from our friends at .