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 8552718 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 87981260 epoch_slot_no: 112460 block_no: 8552541 slot_leader_id: 5449546 size: 18178 time: 2023-03-23 04:59:11 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa96cfcc125eccbb2a3374b57baa982c42a84ad94ab583cfcd101199339dd7690Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk172q3w6px4earjr2vmv3mzhuxwpu0vp7z2gwgmyf434ewezh40q0qc60uz4 op_cert: \x57658830d036dd7a10dce791a50a8e9550b361dfcbb6286106c24a5fff887fe6 op_cert_counter: 10