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 8550863 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 25 slot_no: 87942980 epoch_slot_no: 74180 block_no: 8550686 slot_leader_id: 7253610 size: 36840 time: 2023-03-22 18:21:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5cbf5e64524cd547fc5ff9cf2e7fb7c57c35d6bb4298d251fb30e11b7728ca31Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18flqf7njg78xasz4u9cq4satscejmqyed8xsgnmyv64dpc3juansldw4u0 op_cert: \x9a74a7d04cd75b78e41a567ead29e16d4b6b7d49972c134d00bf0d1bcf65f1ce op_cert_counter: 8