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 8552608 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 87978701 epoch_slot_no: 109901 block_no: 8552431 slot_leader_id: 7046459 size: 24437 time: 2023-03-23 04:16:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5501c7843318d633ca7cf6e66b385eaabb44f351475620236da93c8a1187dab2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk138ryuwgexe6jk6z2sqeu0sc3gkgsuxh84gpgdweze8q5mwrlr3lqrhjwef op_cert: \xd7317a6c28ad356dbca1f4274f70f7aac097f6b1c08f6546db8db66a34b73ce7 op_cert_counter: 1659973602