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 8521076 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 87329241 epoch_slot_no: 324441 block_no: 8520899 slot_leader_id: 4560858 size: 11341 time: 2023-03-15 15:52:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x494443b22317319687bff9ee310e1a4c4b2e401ac6f22f9c4a1d61571e12b9c2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mrwwxpf2pdsu4es46gu7rjy82fntc0538p8a7vuhrmu2ddxn68kqstj6y3 op_cert: \x2f0d203930373bd949f96a24c3d810c6f9e01ff695ac9c5ba8b293bb4be77434 op_cert_counter: 11