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 8559494 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 88119682 epoch_slot_no: 250882 block_no: 8559317 slot_leader_id: 4961402 size: 12565 time: 2023-03-24 19:26:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x345a3512e60edd6a86d1b8ad5c6794a9e12ce02454a92c436003f929e5b4d4e2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1f063au5fjd35833vp3zgs67y3xp2e9tjwkaz6dsx2z5u0pskc4fq7hc96n op_cert: \x44199c49b11695a8f2c3a2cb12eb44324ba9e9b638e51b2e3114bfa323b5b6fc op_cert_counter: 11