"Digital currency Bitcoin is variously promoted as an alternative to gold, a good way to make international transfers, or the future of e-commerce", writes MIT Technology Review, but "[n]ew research suggests that companies are now stockpiling Bitcoin for a different reason: so they can pay up quickly if their data is held ransom by malicious software." As evidence, the article cites Gun Sirer's announcement on Twitter that Cornell has created a coinbase account to be ready for such an event; Brave New Coin also reported on the tweet.
Technology Review article: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601643/companies-are-stockpiling-bitcoin-to-pay-off-cybercriminals/#/set/id/601637/
Brave New Coin article: http://bravenewcoin.com/news/large-uk-businesses-holding-bitcoin-to-pay-ransoms/
The tweet: https://twitter.com/el33th4xor/status/738331965917700096