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 8557860 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 88085422 epoch_slot_no: 216622 block_no: 8557683 slot_leader_id: 7376398 size: 7205 time: 2023-03-24 09:55:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x81ccd5ad3105efd451c2c5e2ad5f99ef398dc54e7343982864e5deec2929ff86Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1546z730nmpfwcye7ms6s3awkk3tv4ad9w3dq70txy0c6zhvf83nsu5gg3n op_cert: \xf24fa031cf009c8cdd145302c543ad3834203e48e943a1866b4123783d3f9542 op_cert_counter: 1659975331