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 8516721 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 87240234 epoch_slot_no: 235434 block_no: 8516544 slot_leader_id: 6390158 size: 50088 time: 2023-03-14 15:08:45 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa121641c02fc917afd033088e632d6bc6f6126953366c5d5ab7104cace5f1621Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jyapxqrqfccqchjd6x5a049j6u53dqv5l264u98hqqxwdgn9ngjqhj2276 op_cert: \x9c2ee5f29819e48c06912a3f14943c2b7727711f2b2ab87241eb9d77262bd041 op_cert_counter: 11