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 8517996 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 87266004 epoch_slot_no: 261204 block_no: 8517819 slot_leader_id: 6406552 size: 86471 time: 2023-03-14 22:18:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd82d8921d5ea192d5d53f233c5b7cf591d260a0a5d4e72c1066f2ecb24b4092aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w88ysntmut0q69lc03ca42437wtqsc9uxn3prh0d5wzucx4k4jeqcm30wx op_cert: \x470fd9ca1f33d1465c89dde8a845c7ac66fc7c143caf843599675b4f147755b0 op_cert_counter: 6