If they ask BTC ... then here is one answer...
Did Edward Snowden ask for money when he brought out the documents? I did not hear he ask something like BTC or Gold or Money... he only asked help that he can live somewhere after that big PARTY.
When they ask for money or BTC, it is clear that it is fake .... and it is expected that it start in long run grow and grow ... then it is easy to use to start control and begin to liquidate Cryptocurrencies. There are too many such tactics out there, there are many stories, where they expect that people start pick them up... so they can start use this info in long run, to go back to the situation where this same golden words comes .... " One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." .... then they have restored control for only the selected ones.
Sorry for my English language is weak.
They have already released real looking documents and provided evidence of their abilities. They are clearly not operating with the same intentions as Edward Snowden.
Edward Snowden... it was just example.
the english is fine but your logical implications are weak:P You build your theory on a premise that "when they ask money its fake"...well...no it doesnt have to be that case of course...By that logic everything in the world is fake because nothing is for free:D
just becasue edward snowden didnt ask for money doesnt set the precedent that whoever asks for money is fake...
Be it logical or not... if you get this big info send it out .... not ask Money or BTC ... SEND IT OUT, so everyone can see and share it.
The rest of society will do the job itself to take off their skin.
What if they "hack for living"? Whaat if they spend all they working timeto get that information and they need to monetize it? Send it out and die out of hunger?:P
The ransom amount is ... $250 in BTC.
srsly...
The total is $2 million.
Yes, I am being a bit tongue in cheek. However, there's no conceivable amount of BTC that can maintain opsec vs. the 911 perps. $2M is not close to enough.
I am known to myself to be relatively stupid however, and I will concede that it is possible to spend the BTC without actually taking possession of it or converting it to fiat, so that isn't the real opsec difficulty.
Since I am not a pen guy, I won't discuss particulars of opsec impossiblity. I just don't think it's possible for even the best hackers to be proof against the very architects of darpanet, even if they have bespoke hardware that does not include the factory backdoors commercially available chips do.
see here.