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 8555618 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 88040017 epoch_slot_no: 171217 block_no: 8555441 slot_leader_id: 4576881 size: 20626 time: 2023-03-23 21:18:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x279adc77814757f16e3981a879a80274122047fa1e08a87e7ffd366b241090fbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12985ww0m8m62c9swggnwnf36h38vc9jjd4mdvtcu3suuyvfcw97swhgdv8 op_cert: \x1dcd96dea7ec742075667f37e75ac0685e9043149153c32ca1ece73bc18d2e10 op_cert_counter: 11