A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 8408613 Details
Epoch: 394 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 85023072 epoch_slot_no: 178272 block_no: 8408436 slot_leader_id: 6447667 size: 55802 time: 2023-02-16 23:16:03 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8219ca214a3bd633670af8e61d69fc9588f30e84ca378bfee1e381435d4955cfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1375qgqjrt8x9hvk5leaeh70xj4wkrygdptn8xkh7z6na32v7aysqqvq2mq op_cert: \x20c3dd93e93d32a873923258a5aa3d52134ba560709bb096a5ab87cd47ccdc96 op_cert_counter: 6