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 8509212 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 87083788 epoch_slot_no: 78988 block_no: 8509035 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 19512 time: 2023-03-12 19:41:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x163333cc2aced0a5ba3e438214bf76f301084c1d6634a43a9c11b285cb85bd0aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \x74c66dbf7fe60951f625e258d4ce58459a268b4897008681e5e95bf8212fc62d op_cert_counter: 13