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 8578997 Details
Epoch: 402 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 88522725 epoch_slot_no: 221925 block_no: 8578820 slot_leader_id: 6058284 size: 31852 time: 2023-03-29 11:23:36 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb16e144ef657f9ee4fd61da9236db8d9e3d400e045d56cac0c1435ec2c2fe6a1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gwdurtpzkdz3tyqcnhj4pedz6e7mtdqa4ta7t6808alqy5h0qa8qcsa246 op_cert: \x4e0ec3b74484f44ccc82a790a042f644a23475b0ac299532140b352a68044b0d op_cert_counter: 12