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 8558679 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 88102816 epoch_slot_no: 234016 block_no: 8558502 slot_leader_id: 5555947 size: 31765 time: 2023-03-24 14:45:07 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa6df72fe737fad99a491715e05c0acd475ef708a6e0b4a6694d651fb0f02fc37Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lckxm3tasr3lha6zy3t39yh5taayygz0j5dh557maf3qce0883psd629s2 op_cert: \x805072298116e9965d6d82189f20420e1f91575b1c2099685b731fd4375e6317 op_cert_counter: 8