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 8558435 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 29 slot_no: 88097314 epoch_slot_no: 228514 block_no: 8558258 slot_leader_id: 5412888 size: 72718 time: 2023-03-24 13:13:25 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5e417a1e492064298c7de1c4d4f5cbdc73bdcf38ed44dca4fec42be4583a9de1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1umjdmha7dv34uzhgn9p3xkx98fhawcy7t4knxtmqx2rysdwzhlls9yk9fc op_cert: \xaf5145db487bb36bf45f2ff7a6e7fff7aa0b84d6872083f04ede7d490b4f785c op_cert_counter: 9