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 8517657 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 87259123 epoch_slot_no: 254323 block_no: 8517480 slot_leader_id: 4963072 size: 45569 time: 2023-03-14 20:23:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1f5c9e417b536e15ecb7ea4a88197b5c7c74475c9dc74ded64a84f132a316aabBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dl59hndn0nlz9hryax4rd6quq8njrjva9fx7aylj78spk3xks3dsugmqf7 op_cert: \x25ac2396abae168b8c57459f7bf2c882c299e54689785d938630a57adf4aaeb2 op_cert_counter: 10