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 8462553 Details
Epoch: 396 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 86129925 epoch_slot_no: 421125 block_no: 8462376 slot_leader_id: 6404142 size: 9178 time: 2023-03-01 18:43:36 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf2ec9be3fb40794a4ff115f655516ef8b3c845c9862e3b4bf56cf8d3bdfab173Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pk6wrcf399dp0gczc6vwkvhwxg3ksdyzns4d48j98hvjcezvxk5qv4l0yw op_cert: \x8d97f0c2327916fba462d8e47981ccfaf1705a4f7c10cd40504cc468bc2e897e op_cert_counter: 7