Overview
An orphan block is a valid block that is not part of the canonical chain, often due to a race between miners or validators. It contains valid transactions that were superseded. Orphans are a natural consequence of distributed block production.
How It Works
When two valid blocks are produced near-simultaneously, the network converges on one via the fork choice rule. The other becomes an orphan. Its transactions are returned to the mempool.
Why It Matters
Orphans reflect network latency and affect block production efficiency. High orphan rates waste work and can impact security. Understanding them helps evaluate consensus design.
Related Concepts
Orphan blocks relate to Blocks, Fork Choice Rules, and consensus. They are a side effect of distributed production.