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 8558380 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 88096322 epoch_slot_no: 227522 block_no: 8558203 slot_leader_id: 8526873 size: 16328 time: 2023-03-24 12:56:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa9fcde21097d6be78a15d2fc700e9c5d1f165f2e8c40d1315315374a1be7aef8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ev5pyusz25vqhp36jk0j0g5tknc8t5ymj2g8qfsq53n8qlf7ey5sc93rfc op_cert: \xe9ac029ab58595d53249f655c9c42cd74e077aa5d7f31a21aecb47de0f33f43d op_cert_counter: 2