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 8557498 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 88078311 epoch_slot_no: 209511 block_no: 8557321 slot_leader_id: 5653679 size: 13810 time: 2023-03-24 07:56:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2d3cd71c0b72b695e6c2121ba1694c36e3a9e7db2795c3b267e3a174d0f545cbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1la263vvqtxrn3d89a279s07ftnctzex6k4a2fxn23kt0w5tasprsz7cjs6 op_cert: \x24defe1ca114b4a7ab7acbf3f0bbc895f95214f69e620b767ae1d90b98420787 op_cert_counter: 15