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 8559398 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 88117962 epoch_slot_no: 249162 block_no: 8559221 slot_leader_id: 5066676 size: 68627 time: 2023-03-24 18:57:33 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd2278daabd1550a4ef06b2347eab282e3bb10d042953d4200ccbcb48be23f836Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tn22sa0azvtls9m2jyxxwpw0mjqrprgrrjdrlf43hs45kn2ky9rqv2384z op_cert: \x115b37b8af461d762017bb4c6ceaa0d29b51d7b160d18f7591426374d9c95c77 op_cert_counter: 13