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 8550663 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 87938862 epoch_slot_no: 70062 block_no: 8550486 slot_leader_id: 4809597 size: 87712 time: 2023-03-22 17:12:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8e91159c84e034d877302ebc40b19148507e1dce63a151c32c97fdf23a7a26b9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tawdpfmgzkefrmg603n2cq047d5fj8cs0d4csce4xrxzzst444tsvwet66 op_cert: \x4be92d8bf7ed677538763bd98b8b645d7290b8053071163d42b6d60168c0e1b9 op_cert_counter: 11