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 8551062 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 46 slot_no: 87946743 epoch_slot_no: 77943 block_no: 8550885 slot_leader_id: 5230760 size: 88354 time: 2023-03-22 19:23:54 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0106f48ecb47d7c9e9ede1be94f727ab469506123898d2d6681bd7e883788c41Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1psm6m9r9fhla285hqka9qx4hclfvjatrz6n9p87j3mawhsk0380s48nxt2 op_cert: \x902cc319140bb73404802f10661af6665d147f906d60cfbe755f08f2666e85e9 op_cert_counter: 9