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 8509488 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 32 slot_no: 87089395 epoch_slot_no: 84595 block_no: 8509311 slot_leader_id: 4635124 size: 66771 time: 2023-03-12 21:14:46 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8a1acd44943b2930cfc5b70a8edd78db8d1f4f5eab4ef8fc4edb5de74bcdccecBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18wylyatfcj0nresevgkqq258r2qsjlc8fgq32p768wssvf4xynkql6cka0 op_cert: \xd072edf4c65c4e79e8dd534d429b42ee878a7f6caf326f6fa521270e5bb901f5 op_cert_counter: 16