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 8555621 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 35 slot_no: 88040057 epoch_slot_no: 171257 block_no: 8555444 slot_leader_id: 5555137 size: 75642 time: 2023-03-23 21:19:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbffccf5b830ce9137d3b2356086394d51d849ccad0cd63eac7b94d7bb21d61ebBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x4gcag7r4n0pld5qdd38etqqsmfsjp5sehughrrg7ew7kesd67zs9va90y op_cert: \x608feff1b30c826c82b29c9bd8a2db1fdf63854aeb75c4381b6a3389c33c9cfd op_cert_counter: 8