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 8551000 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 87945650 epoch_slot_no: 76850 block_no: 8550823 slot_leader_id: 5047313 size: 86693 time: 2023-03-22 19:05:41 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x34e4ba1dd25417de3e8933be12a28ad4a3ed1086dfbe7f3f41927604cf2ce51eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cwukgz49fxl6w6g9wtq4kc7eptuyxv66kgfc7heyv0c3etn579sqg9djx9 op_cert: \x400b5fc4437d7e9c2828b32e5617ac94b4152f52419c68c8602c04316da0fa80 op_cert_counter: 10