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 8513218 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 87166718 epoch_slot_no: 161918 block_no: 8513041 slot_leader_id: 7399631 size: 80130 time: 2023-03-13 18:43:29 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x90e2f80626518b77e8a31feed9300215e8c29176b49ffab33daf35df1217053eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eccgrlghe3v3dmdfsydvw05wrfz8cx0s6na2hkm8fka6uhmqkzes5q60k3 op_cert: \xcdaba2b5e1ec3dbbb39a3d7e238a6a5afe73cdf6ae475d18802c7c2abf873efe op_cert_counter: 1659975259