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 8520558 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 87318515 epoch_slot_no: 313715 block_no: 8520381 slot_leader_id: 6406552 size: 14310 time: 2023-03-15 12:53:26 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf2ae09bc8f4506bcb8520a14a6b8c492a199c7e9decc2cae74a6ffdea24d458eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w88ysntmut0q69lc03ca42437wtqsc9uxn3prh0d5wzucx4k4jeqcm30wx op_cert: \x470fd9ca1f33d1465c89dde8a845c7ac66fc7c143caf843599675b4f147755b0 op_cert_counter: 6