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 8505371 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 41 slot_no: 87005754 epoch_slot_no: 954 block_no: 8505194 slot_leader_id: 7046729 size: 87718 time: 2023-03-11 22:00:45 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa4f6347485e1a2084c3cd59197ad99228e401aa664161611b1ea0a3022e5daafBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ffmgargyrpt76axwe2epzk8luerdcwv6tlg6mxs7a7908ypahkvqwf2t89 op_cert: \x85e429b7f13475f859c918ae0cc1e8e8e2670533b8aa9997624bf7c87c85e0f4 op_cert_counter: 1660589468