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 8555431 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 46 slot_no: 88036201 epoch_slot_no: 167401 block_no: 8555254 slot_leader_id: 7718752 size: 87368 time: 2023-03-23 20:14:52 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1badc86b432dbd055523ec96900b122a04a279792e9b633209b99cc910c5c6acBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fs9l47kfluypfaezzetmvfmspmplxrdcpkzv93548zzcg2dz00kqrkqnl7 op_cert: \xc9a7c1099f9bbb7883c6431153e8bb2b30592dbc571be35e3d1a397682d11cee op_cert_counter: 2