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 8557499 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 88078322 epoch_slot_no: 209522 block_no: 8557322 slot_leader_id: 4961128 size: 2305 time: 2023-03-24 07:56:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd866d3403a2ed7f266900503c97b4fef8f1fd284263e6f055dd9007ba8b7d0fcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ajtchlkusa56gkrat3a00y2hxymgrkhckuj04lq6uutegse667js9028dc op_cert: \xb90b03c440d83a494c7c3560a7d0655a0956efdc9f8cf8c7d94a716eae618db6 op_cert_counter: 12