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 8551717 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 87959921 epoch_slot_no: 91121 block_no: 8551540 slot_leader_id: 5465683 size: 48606 time: 2023-03-22 23:03:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x471591f85e4a5a69a7f92b0f6bd547768fc0b4baf993c301ff13e8b5f8b7fffdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pjtwwtld7ychch6499zauvxlf7xemhlfn4earkvh44w2u0vjrj4s0fjx6j op_cert: \x66299b7ef36acce9ce31eaaffef32f7513be2900a35ab3a7d5623099f33f188d op_cert_counter: 8