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 8558036 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 88088717 epoch_slot_no: 219917 block_no: 8557859 slot_leader_id: 4590524 size: 12234 time: 2023-03-24 10:50:08 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x09417116dad4bc80bd12cebd1ef692ff2a9c8ae0d9e3b370430f7c5fe771b9f9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n4yvnz9sd7el59ajuqtay5cerpm0awzg0lyqxcdm6yw2uewl2e9qzqdvr6 op_cert: \x39992d38a93470052f9068e1e1712f6caaaa7ff86d922c6111460f539f4fc2bc op_cert_counter: 12