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 8517166 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 87249354 epoch_slot_no: 244554 block_no: 8516989 slot_leader_id: 4609504 size: 47067 time: 2023-03-14 17:40:45 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4f21e7f88881ff3de63da1d2258ea5fc604ff3e144a3a8bb6ff13475b91a42beBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1973re7lsj6va8q8ly4tpedu9hr9mc28wehfwvhqszd3u48kndatszu3d8w op_cert: \x3cf0970360a1efd6fa0b32785682d5ce8f1373058ae80783a24b4fff04a805b6 op_cert_counter: 12