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 8551522 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 87955886 epoch_slot_no: 87086 block_no: 8551345 slot_leader_id: 4555892 size: 42717 time: 2023-03-22 21:56:17 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7b2760fc58ea7ffc77f7fa6031cd9e6b990a36dfe266b188b02c2a965bc19dc9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pgcwdc0qvw7ejcrlqhxltpv5qrk4s8l8n3f64z8kjkaep6pqyljsxe7272 op_cert: \x391eb4ea3c3126f3e2898a771f029529e7d4b78483cfd4b7d9af5b62b6c9d8be op_cert_counter: 15