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 8556515 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 88058347 epoch_slot_no: 189547 block_no: 8556338 slot_leader_id: 5023414 size: 1660 time: 2023-03-24 02:23:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8cc5d1f848d69807aa656d371826faa9a972a938e80b4048568627bf2e66e5dcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h945kjjuye0rr2xdh663taxcqf5xm4wcm8rq2w7lcltp5cs7uacqytxhka op_cert: \x5740313b424bf0c00d68c5b4e4c3bcd95fcbe8af84a07b7a85cddee178f00d1b op_cert_counter: 9