Understanding the Concept of Orphan Blocks
An orphan block, also referred to as a stale or detached block, is a legitimate block that is not included in the main blockchain. There are several factors that can contribute to the occurrence of orphaned blocks. These factors include internet lags, the length of the blockchain, the size of the block, and the speed of the node hosting the blockchain. When two blocks have the same timestamp due to these factors, the main blockchain will reject one block and accept the other.
Orphan blocks can occur in the Bitcoin blockchain as well. For instance, if two miners simultaneously discover, solve, and propagate a block, the two blocks may be seen by different nodes at different times due to the aforementioned factors.
As new blocks are added, nodes will append them to the chain they consider valid. In the case of the Bitcoin blockchain, the longer chain is automatically considered the valid one. Consequently, one of the two blocks, despite being accurate, becomes an orphan (i.e., the shorter chain).
To minimize the occurrence of orphan blocks, blockchain developers take into account the propagation delay and block time. If a decentralized platform has a high propagation delay and a short block time, the likelihood of orphan blocks increases. It is important to note that excessive competition among blocks can also lead to forks, resulting in the introduction of competing chains. These competing chains can cause instability or congestion in decentralized networks.
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