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 8550417 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 87933459 epoch_slot_no: 64659 block_no: 8550240 slot_leader_id: 5002519 size: 47770 time: 2023-03-22 15:42:30 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdd498f33c17eba970b213cba7d11441cb1b09e67a0069731834a622eb21276f5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cl7drnpkkvd3ucqfh2k9pkq2s4tl3r67nq47u33lge2nt8e45c2s23y3t2 op_cert: \x32e80bc3880d1e8a02f74364eb2fd867dd7c8ee618d680a45d05311533885561 op_cert_counter: 11