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 8509440 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 87088431 epoch_slot_no: 83631 block_no: 8509263 slot_leader_id: 4555892 size: 29179 time: 2023-03-12 20:58:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x906039a74278912cdffdf3443f668fcfa659caa4256043735b78f4c5c4344895Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pgcwdc0qvw7ejcrlqhxltpv5qrk4s8l8n3f64z8kjkaep6pqyljsxe7272 op_cert: \x391eb4ea3c3126f3e2898a771f029529e7d4b78483cfd4b7d9af5b62b6c9d8be op_cert_counter: 15