Berlin Defies $2.4 Million Bitcoin Ransom Demand

The Rhysida ransomware group demanded $2 million in Bitcoin from Berlin's state government after hacking into the city's network. The hackers published an auction on the dark web, starting at 30 BTC, which is roughly equivalent to $2.4 million due to the current price of Bitcoin.

The deadline for payment was September 4, but Berlin refused to pay the ransom, and instead, let it expire. In a statement, Florian Hauer, the city's chief digital officer, said that 'The State of Berlin will not give in to blackmail.'

Rhysida released 5.7 terabytes of stolen data on the dark web after the deadline passed. The city's Senate Chancellery had initially estimated the ransom demand at about two million euros.