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 8517901 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 87263861 epoch_slot_no: 259061 block_no: 8517724 slot_leader_id: 7048996 size: 1144 time: 2023-03-14 21:42:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa5f3163626f2be59a1775e143f872121c1c977d3d449737584975062bdcbf454Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w6j0zv7ls8a8luddxe8vunyky9mkyq6j35cc5jtxxtln046kjfls4rsac3 op_cert: \x4e15456c92b5efb0b7f6fcfd00950787a0df7210ca815512af5cd20c616d350f op_cert_counter: 4