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 8505697 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 87012947 epoch_slot_no: 8147 block_no: 8505520 slot_leader_id: 4998911 size: 88598 time: 2023-03-12 00:00:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x45ed8fa9bc0db42f9a1bad053a4d03085a922fe5064e68a93d3323fbd950df57Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cqvnc6lc46cgcktxe6g2uvah6dkape4lqznvhkkrg6y70d6srauscr23fk op_cert: \xffd1cc1cd9991377ad7dcc39b0f63dee591b66c625ea8e90b4e22a9b72cc6963 op_cert_counter: 12