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 8558686 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 29 slot_no: 88103022 epoch_slot_no: 234222 block_no: 8558509 slot_leader_id: 6992178 size: 63441 time: 2023-03-24 14:48:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3b2e8f2179ddf03d183d1abd0d89f1e3a9ef037364dd46010a0d8e5047cdc125Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nhcgvu93hzcmnfex45xdxpawgfvgjzuqdswfnsak2w9xupjs4c4snqngk8 op_cert: \x90d8cd78042dca11bf8efa49a95c62681403990426d9ef321da0fb4aaa766c96 op_cert_counter: 5