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 8550861 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 87942927 epoch_slot_no: 74127 block_no: 8550684 slot_leader_id: 7046900 size: 13648 time: 2023-03-22 18:20:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x687373d8d9a40b0fadd7f8da6cc7ff33bbac31b4d68b81e25e411fed2a36799fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk197w95j9alkwt8l4g7xkccknhn4pqwx65c5saxnn5ej3cpmps72msgpw69d op_cert: \x4e24d77f8d13f2199df681b716acd0b6a7418178e6e1ee28a9e42831c26ea525 op_cert_counter: 1659973010