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 8509588 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 87091340 epoch_slot_no: 86540 block_no: 8509411 slot_leader_id: 4556351 size: 15220 time: 2023-03-12 21:47:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb7c4e5a9ec08c87416e1b473a180834a3fff4f88342f664aaecd61ac2f5aa2d2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vpf2x74q4rz5ypeekn4vx7rnddfygwjg2mgkukmgque84c7dhyxqgz7zas op_cert: \xfa80cb3a824c1e31874c9eda78a1387f4b8e373d356bf8e8e0de052a1c19a174 op_cert_counter: 20