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 8550493 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 87935203 epoch_slot_no: 66403 block_no: 8550316 slot_leader_id: 5233559 size: 15608 time: 2023-03-22 16:11:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4c0b10dd76d3b1a914a8f4c2e16403bda56924315277fed833bef3349c224ba4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x26vzuykasg47gq3mqjq3z2gjvd4e38usx4n6lenuseqn6nuw47ssge7w3 op_cert: \x35447fd08fefdb12b2cbc580957aa31047250c02416fd581eb2de9a926797313 op_cert_counter: 5