Hackers behind Wannacry just stole $66,000 in Bitcoin. Now what?

Converting that bitcoin into cash with the whole world watching their every move will be tough

The hackers behind the massive WannaCry cyberattack have succeeded in extracting some ransom payments from people locked out of their computers. But they don’t yet have dollars to show for it.

The cyberthieves took payment for their so-called ransomware in bitcoin, the digital currency that has become a popular tool for moving money across borders quietly—about $66,000 worth.

Now comes the hard part: converting that bitcoin into cash with the whole world watching their every move.

While bitcoin generally offers anonymity to its users, it isn’t absolute. Once a hacker tries to exchange the virtual lucre for government-backed currency, it