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 8528217 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 52 slot_no: 87474587 epoch_slot_no: 37787 block_no: 8528040 slot_leader_id: 4591434 size: 88191 time: 2023-03-17 08:14:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaf491edd9ae097f19534c132549dff06565c713be0865bc7bc3eb6a7adb89fc0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15l5xndch25p7uvtarv7dyagh4zgkvk5yzzndttv99sswhn7umfcqe2xv0h op_cert: \xa34b46b5808e50ebb8522c8b065de1744a98ab424f9ac237e5dbf169810597a8 op_cert_counter: 12