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 8559531 Details
Epoch: 401 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 88120493 epoch_slot_no: 251693 block_no: 8559354 slot_leader_id: 4573799 size: 18399 time: 2023-03-24 19:39:44 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf4c61ebaec0de50b074e3e4cbd1cffbe66f9afc0e934e9d8600e6806cb5e6438Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p0r0r8enaa9fv40zc0hm9q92lpwd4glg2lgm7tg67zxaf5v075ssg8328n op_cert: \x4b2252d7264c390761847f04fc5158af6e057d873cba40c3aa036ea219d4e0a7 op_cert_counter: 11