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 8509553 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 87090651 epoch_slot_no: 85851 block_no: 8509376 slot_leader_id: 6964643 size: 49622 time: 2023-03-12 21:35:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbb425eb7e239b1b791ea3dc1d0c4db0c34db1a5380edcc774fcdcfa4518c539eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z67nekjnfzj7g3qts62q5jlcvqzrl3an24ysj6nr02u7rk4y9vqqkwe2pl op_cert: \x57c17a15636bd8f696e34a208acfbd937ffa37e89371cca9948cf50fb216c3c6 op_cert_counter: 5