content: 500 BTC is worth about $2.5M in the enemy country's money. That's peanuts compared to the value of the data being held for ransom.  Someone could ask for 5000 BTC and they'd have to pay it. How much would it cost the pigs  in lawsuits if they didn't? $20 million? $40 million? To me, that's the absolute minimum ask,  considering the risk.