If cryptocurrency disappeared tomorrow ransomware operators would have no difficulty switching to bank transfers or bags of cash flown to Russia.

But their victims would have a hard time paying in that manner. For the longest time the exchange was the hard part of any ransom operation. Cryptocurrency makes it easy. If it changes to bank transfers then that is easier to trace and adds significant risk, it also raises the bar in terms of who can pull it off. Bags of cash? That never works.

What's wrong with bags of cash? A company paying a 5 million ransom can spend 100k on the logistics (private jet etc) of getting that money delivered. This isn't a real obstacle.

Ransoms aren't paid by the companies themselves anyway, it's always professional ransomware negotiators who handle the exchanging for them.

Wire transfers would work fine too, the ransomware operators simply won't provide the keys until they've secured the money from their drop account.

wow. just wow. so crypto is to blame?

let me ask you this? after to get your bitcoins or whatever you are getting with this ransomware, what exactly do you do with them? what do you do with all those bitcoins?

also, your argument is that a centralized currency / a central authority vouching for the currency makes things better and deters crime? lol.