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 8509712 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 87094157 epoch_slot_no: 89357 block_no: 8509535 slot_leader_id: 5323914 size: 42466 time: 2023-03-12 22:34:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb7ef866e568a95b88ec5b1ece64372a96b26fc29c6310ab42d887135e1d690a0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e6we68f8v6kr04d8xj2vw509patykzr5yzkw4njkmxhas0e85zzsvz9ht6 op_cert: \x31f2db4cfa2e8087b4403035047e9c37024246292f4b35ab2ba906ee886743d8 op_cert_counter: 7