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 8576526 Details
Epoch: 402 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 88472707 epoch_slot_no: 171907 block_no: 8576349 slot_leader_id: 4626196 size: 11872 time: 2023-03-28 21:29:58 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa09cee9e0e43ca2e5a28f0487445ab00c23ccc24c79b371259b9a1288f3c16f9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pdppl3vx2wxj752ywjy6c963707waeqdn3pux4jywcx7dzeev8wsg0c7kl op_cert: \x42687348593e1c7920a84f7bf4a32f526174b9ad89e2f7189eb9bf64e491a9f0 op_cert_counter: 17