[whizzwr]

The main problem is the malware that makes you lost access to your data. (Pseudo-)anonymous payment (BTC is not fully anonymous) that facilitates the payment is just a side effect.

Backup and threat management directly address the main problem. Banning crypto just like you say, deter the payout potential, but it leaves the malware as is.

It's pretty funny when we talk ransomware payment in term of friction—as if we are talking about new payment method user which user will be inconvenienced.

Criminals doing criminal transaction don't care about 'friction', they will grind through any obstacle to move the money.

[qualudeheart]

You still need to convert crypto into fiat at some point.

A criminal group can just hire poor people to make bitcoin exchange and bank accounts under their identities.

They can use other methods to sucker people into working for them.

So yeah criminals can get around most forms of kyc either through id theft or by employing „volunteers“.