<p>You're absolutely correct. The following would completely work:</p>

<ol>
<li>Get ready to perform a <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Double-spending#Finney_attack">Finney attack</a>.</li>
<li>Gamble some coins.</li>
<li>If you lose, go through with the Finney attack. Otherwise, cancel your Finney attack, and collect your 1250 BTC from satoshidice.</li>
</ol>

<p>Is anybody doing this? I don't know.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-09T01:17:59.353Z
SatoshiDICE makes the returning transaction depend on the incoming one, so any attack which makes a transaction not be in the blockchain won't work. (The returning transaction can't be included until the one to SatoshiDice is)
lurf jurv
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-09T01:42:34.310Z
@lurfjurv Which is precisely why you don't perform the Finney attack if your bet succeeds.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-09T02:53:51.093Z
Oh! I thought you were talking about something totally different. My mistake. You're just cancelling the transaction to SatoshiDICE if the bet fails. Ok, that'll work.
lurf jurv
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-15T20:22:51.693Z
Would doing this be profitable? http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/8402/can-a-finney-attack-make-satoshidice-betting-profitable
lurf jurv
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-15T20:42:22.587Z
@lurfjurv I don't see how that question is different from the one asked on this page.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-15T23:39:35.990Z
This is asking if it's possible. I'm asking if it would be profitable, or how much mining power would be needed for it to be profitable.
lurf jurv
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-16T02:40:45.933Z
1) It could be profitable depending on how much it costs you to write the patch for double-spending SatoshiDice. 2) There isn't a critical mass of mining power.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-09T00:32:22.793Z
2013-02-09T04:08:23.543Z
2013-02-09T04:08:23.543Z
Nick ODell
<p>Is it possibile for a mining pool to attack Satoshi Dice? A strategy might be: bet on Satoshi Dice and if the bet wins, do nothing, if it looses, don't put the transaction in the block (try to double spend) and hope, that the pool find the block. If the hash rate of the pool is big enough this should beat the house edge of Satoshi? Did I miss something?</p>

<attack><satoshidice>
Could a mining pool attack Satoshi Dice?
user599464
# Could a mining pool attack Satoshi Dice?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-02-09)

Is it possibile for a mining pool to attack Satoshi Dice? A strategy might be: bet on Satoshi Dice and if the bet wins, do nothing, if it looses, don't put the transaction in the block (try to double spend) and hope, that the pool find the block. If the hash rate of the pool is big enough this should beat the house edge of Satoshi? Did I miss something?

**Tags:** attack, satoshidice


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-02-09. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

You're absolutely correct. The following would completely work:

1. Get ready to perform a [Finney attack](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Double-spending#Finney_attack).
2. Gamble some coins.
3. If you lose, go through with the Finney attack. Otherwise, cancel your Finney attack, and collect your 1250 BTC from satoshidice.

Is anybody doing this? I don't know.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: SatoshiDICE makes the returning transaction depend on the incoming one, so any attack which makes a transaction not be in the blockchain won't work. (The returning transaction can't be included until the one to SatoshiDice is)  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Which is precisely why you don't perform the Finney attack if your bet succeeds.  
> **username_2**: Oh! I thought you were talking about something totally different. My mistake. You're just cancelling the transaction to SatoshiDICE if the bet fails. Ok, that'll work.  
> **username_2**: Would doing this be profitable? http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/8402/can-a-finney-attack-make-satoshidice-betting-profitable  
> **username_1**: @username_2 I don't see how that question is different from the one asked on this page.  
> **username_2**: This is asking if it's possible. I'm asking if it would be profitable, or how much mining power would be needed for it to be profitable.  
> **username_1**: 1) It could be profitable depending on how much it costs you to write the patch for double-spending SatoshiDice. 2) There isn't a critical mass of mining power.  

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