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 8578617 Details
Epoch: 402 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 88515669 epoch_slot_no: 214869 block_no: 8578440 slot_leader_id: 6447667 size: 38279 time: 2023-03-29 09:26:00 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x240bea8d5b020edb2e4acc8d07fa5d81c738a12ae43ccae68fc57678431a8ee4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1375qgqjrt8x9hvk5leaeh70xj4wkrygdptn8xkh7z6na32v7aysqqvq2mq op_cert: \x9bc814834cf6c08b49c90f85ff25f63c5beb1bfca4964f7952141f0bb2eac8ac op_cert_counter: 7