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 8509698 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 87093822 epoch_slot_no: 89022 block_no: 8509521 slot_leader_id: 7376398 size: 7696 time: 2023-03-12 22:28:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6e5614c6fc2ee6b9f4c704dd2cccb5b3f1a4206e26b6f03f929f0f63d435b5fbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1546z730nmpfwcye7ms6s3awkk3tv4ad9w3dq70txy0c6zhvf83nsu5gg3n op_cert: \x9a3cdd4a6d3052de7082e257578867f18afa0a11a45a81bdebe3e100a327f675 op_cert_counter: 1659975329