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 8558164 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 40 slot_no: 88091311 epoch_slot_no: 222511 block_no: 8557987 slot_leader_id: 4941448 size: 85763 time: 2023-03-24 11:33:22 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x343bee23f3f16fdeb697c35cfe9c05c5d6f5db11065aaedbbb1a7bea2a2a3d9aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mmahu03jycqskaywr79hsckf4esdyecu7g3lypnnznrhps3ddylsn4fya9 op_cert: \x4f80f648073fa535ffd5f4a47328c0c4dd82451cfb1d763bb56ba3d769d8f7a0 op_cert_counter: 18