Orphan blocks are blocks that become discarded or invalidated within a blockchain network. Blocks are orphaned when two or more miners simultaneously mine and broadcast separate blocks at a similar time.
As a result, the network splits, and only one block can be added to the blockchain while the others are discarded. These discarded blocks, which are no longer part of the main blockchain, are referred to as orphan blocks.
An Orphan Block is an unsuccessful attempt to contribute to the blockchain's growth. However, orphaning a block is a rare occurrence within a blockchain network.