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 8520409 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 87315474 epoch_slot_no: 310674 block_no: 8520232 slot_leader_id: 4577845 size: 64640 time: 2023-03-15 12:02:45 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x14b78227b118477092ee2eddf799e44a15735a9af8c5fa38b9f3d5598969a005Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqt0tpt9sxq3wz5eahqhqjcm8ak6pjc78ua4y4968lhsw3s7xl5qlz58rv op_cert: \x9c9593fd5d82f2faf00e0f47f302b3d2e942509ec911e8d51fcbab242770c434 op_cert_counter: 12