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 8557497 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 88078287 epoch_slot_no: 209487 block_no: 8557320 slot_leader_id: 4557910 size: 27333 time: 2023-03-24 07:56:18 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdde60d73d8872bf2c3a2dbd475f4d395d610c0dd9bd8b481aea807f1f3fcb4cdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vclfxu5y6wekn5fhd7jy2vzvjedflq6c24uxctwn33dx7l3jcd5qffsueu op_cert: \x598099981ead5a4ce9304fccff18eb1f56345d1c6f842c798c80e49035456929 op_cert_counter: 13