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 8509642 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 87092585 epoch_slot_no: 87785 block_no: 8509465 slot_leader_id: 5922517 size: 38798 time: 2023-03-12 22:07:56 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xec636f882cb742f250ea4731f9cebbef8c6835252f149234dd9c4f58d0a1cd61Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x586pr4yfcsz6lt8yhjtkze093a4ux0u35358jgcm76xdrwh684stwhfz6 op_cert: \x5b5f9e736df970025d921a72535ee7aaa5a9e823f4d8169ef62865d1ae476ab0 op_cert_counter: 32