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 8550519 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 87935622 epoch_slot_no: 66822 block_no: 8550342 slot_leader_id: 4623044 size: 17609 time: 2023-03-22 16:18:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4d959962b6cb23f1fcde1fe83213ccd31d18aafd102e9d13d2dd618e6133c2fdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zpefadlau0qqwyx84x622wmrfsf9gc08vsy88p0s2l8gemd93xpqth6mq0 op_cert: \xe7b8c92437edd667763c21f91d318ed36a6372d4d7e44755b7e3e4382d7a1b24 op_cert_counter: 25