Would have been cheaper to pay them off.

Give them the 10 BTC bounty so we can all go back to making money.

Are you really that ignorant to think that's how it works? They're spending money to ddos attack, if you start paying them why would they stop? Remind me to never hire you to be my hostage negotiator.
I am wandering what makes you think that they are spending money?
I do agree that paying ransom is not the solution but ....spending money....it sounds like you have internal info or what?