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 8550834 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 87942353 epoch_slot_no: 73553 block_no: 8550657 slot_leader_id: 5366908 size: 34263 time: 2023-03-22 18:10:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xce44aee80118845313897ca84014348e8b1e33df403555045a01a74269fe5aafBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e3ful6y80qgtdnqc0uzgc5hf88k4wj3cehgkar3856msn85hk64qs070g2 op_cert: \x4403660c3e9235a17af70976c995cf01497bcf906035b21d8329baa68625adb7 op_cert_counter: 11