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 8508963 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 87078513 epoch_slot_no: 73713 block_no: 8508786 slot_leader_id: 4555561 size: 37322 time: 2023-03-12 18:13:24 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf1e1e7c7cfe1ea9fc3ea6acfe3b14a6cbc2354b2a67d8f98bf6a144d9873e98aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vahd9zncqkeaehp09j3g93a8kmdhk8gy4cn8spc8tze0e5eegflqkak6k6 op_cert: \x08d302cacce1f06d6b36bb2b2ab8124a026605a076afbe98c56fa5f16895371b op_cert_counter: 14