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 8522401 Details
Epoch: 399 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 87356071 epoch_slot_no: 351271 block_no: 8522224 slot_leader_id: 4597919 size: 28402 time: 2023-03-15 23:19:22 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaef78659c715bf6b00d817993b3c5c242520dd7a2632fa7c6620d1ae4cbad63cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqxua5h367t3u6hh8e0a2xaykstvkvefln3zc6sn8c3wrqpu3mzsexem67 op_cert: \x4b9ab34c1441058fa02629f09ebe7d5fbeb44d26844f4d4f9cb568be494904b0 op_cert_counter: 31