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 8509608 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 87091730 epoch_slot_no: 86930 block_no: 8509431 slot_leader_id: 4584561 size: 42857 time: 2023-03-12 21:53:41 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4a548c13cbf0216273768d0d2680db7e374d1f5c46a752918931124fe39f2959Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mskafut6s42kyhseelfyfr9uzyj5esm8233xy8z9z58d5kkdkzdsenc2tg op_cert: \xdbfc943358506847ea3058253533fd95c2ec94c818021f288af37d60e9a6090d op_cert_counter: 36