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 8559438 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 88118704 epoch_slot_no: 249904 block_no: 8559261 slot_leader_id: 4895123 size: 20980 time: 2023-03-24 19:09:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaf7fd351bb32b8b205d04f862f2d12bd6c7fb807b1dcac583d4873a1fdabbfb7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12tf79gtnvp9vt3lavuqwhh3pnqkfaqu6djj6fkem8fuv77mjchaqgcatz7 op_cert: \xb953e7c256b935f8bf13b42b402de2a57712f8f535986baf5a8ed8343b285126 op_cert_counter: 11