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 8568418 Details
Epoch: 402 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 88304227 epoch_slot_no: 3427 block_no: 8568241 slot_leader_id: 4981372 size: 19614 time: 2023-03-26 22:41:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x50903bed1a7fba2221a2f96ce633211b9ca8f9927ba3d915b5e972031d09b3b6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zex6fy5atu7e7l5akzqqjvzn80valqdng56hta8p3uyvajyhuxpsd7f3v3 op_cert: \x431d118c490f7eab11a8f2a07438733b509b2c248dbc3ab9293ada55f5eacdc2 op_cert_counter: 10