Gamers may seem like they’re always on a computer, but even they have to sleep sometimes. Now Esposure, a Dallas-based esports tech company, is teaming up with cryptomining software startup Salad to put those idle PCs to use.

The companies have entered a multi-year partnership to help gamers—many of whom have very powerful computers—leverage their PCs during downtime to earn redeemable rewards value through Salad’s computesharing software.

To help gamers profit from not playing games and get their first taste of Salad, Esposure’s edtech platform will offer esports fans a course on the basics of distributed computing and cryptocurrencies.

“At Esposure, we’re dedicated to providing a pathway to professional careers in esports for those who are interested and enthusiastic about gaming,” said Danny Martin, co-founder and CEO of Esposure, in a statement. “Through this partnership with Salad, we’re now able to offer individuals additional ways to earn using their gaming equipment when their machines are idle. We’re thrilled to partner with a leading company to bring this unique opportunity to the Esposure community.”

Redemptions: from Discord Nitro to VISA gift cards and more

Salad wants to help turn idle compute downtime to downloads: The startup enables gamers to share their idle computers on a distributed computing network, where they’re paid for contributing to advanced computing tasks like cryptomining. The Salad desktop app determines the most profitable task for its host PC and manages and secures its connection, according to a news release.

In turn, the gamer earns rewards value that can be redeemed for Steam games, Discord Nitro, VISA and Amazon gift cards, in-game DLC, and “thousands more rewards” at the Salad Storefront.

“This partnership with Esposure was the exact key we needed to unlock opportunity for gamers across the globe,” said Bob Miles, founder and CEO of Salad, in the statement. “Much like the esports industry, there is an unfamiliarity and uncertainty around finding success in cryptomining. Esposure allows us to educate individuals on the opportunity to leverage their idle machines to earn through our anonymized, secure, transparent, and lucrative network.”

Miles launched Salad in 2018.

What will be mined with this downtime?

Salad will determine which coin is most profitable for gamers to mine, according to its website. It currently supports these blockchain protocols: Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, RavenCoin, Grin, Monero, Vertcoin, and BTC Gold. More info about protocols and system capabilities can be found here.

Is it safe for gamers’ computers?

Salad says consumer graphics cards and CPUs “are designed to run at peak performance 24/7,” and claims Salad won’t tax hardware more than playing Far Cry 5 or Battlefield V would. Salad answers more questions about safety here.

Computer time can go to charity too

Salad recently introduced its first episodic “season” of programming, along with a usage-based bonus level system that lets users pursue community goals, donate rewards value to charitable causes, and unlock additional rewards, the company says. Fans are able to coordinate support for “community challenges” in Salad’s official server on Discord’s social platform.

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