An unexpected side effect of the recent volatile fluctuations in bitcoin valuations is that it is starting to put off ransomware cybercriminals from relying on the platform.

The cybersecurity company Proofpoint has noticed, through research in the last quarter of 2017, that there was a fall of 73% in payment demands which request bitcoin. This decline in numbers has come as more criminals are requesting payments to be made in either local currency or in US dollars.

In recent years ransomware attacks and payment demands have requested bitcoin and other digital currencies, as it is a way of exchanging money without leaving a trace. In 2017, North Korea is believed to have launched some ransomware attacks in an effort to circumvent international sanctions.

Ransomware developers look at price fluctuations in much the same way as any other sales company. Discounts, staggered payments and escalating prices are all tactics that are used to encourage fast payment, depending on which part of the world the victim is located.

The fluctuating valuations of bitcoin and other digital currencies mean that ransomware strains are at traditional currency in a new way, as they cannot determine whether a bitcoin will be worth the same value when paid, as when first requested from a victim.