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 8509174 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 52 slot_no: 87082856 epoch_slot_no: 78056 block_no: 8508997 slot_leader_id: 4559683 size: 87135 time: 2023-03-12 19:25:47 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe4a0304ecf3ad41c0c7dbf26a0d0a693c6a47340db517b11ba94ef1861651b06Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lzs68gd92uysvu04y23m62d6nwprqm5d2hjal9uwwe390wger3dqvgy23f op_cert: \x2a12cec770e8202f9720b49ce720e297d1a57c6f3a3e030fcddb4541fc6d9cca op_cert_counter: 14