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 8558657 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 88102393 epoch_slot_no: 233593 block_no: 8558480 slot_leader_id: 7376579 size: 56141 time: 2023-03-24 14:38:04 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x35959f7f74579019b24e4bedca5e795f7f8183cdad737399238300bbf3edc713Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jrnkv44tm0xxpt63tflypqpfaja4e35zl6g249n9uk4pyp5nj8ast3rj04 op_cert: \xca03f1aa5046b8845e4db2f9842eba98c58635dda1f45c0941473dabfb9f12d7 op_cert_counter: 1659975397