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 8588886 Details
Epoch: 402 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 88722318 epoch_slot_no: 421518 block_no: 8588709 slot_leader_id: 4984234 size: 8696 time: 2023-03-31 18:50:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc37634e9f1d3b7f29fa0b04b46a6cc335073c77ba28df14fca0e1a9d9ce304b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gewqa80x8epjqakklng3rsn5az02e8wk7k9ypexa46uwf72h5r3s2q8uf4 op_cert: \xea116bfccfa3fb85b91fd7c03d0d9f4f2850fb9dd55a443093edf18590437188 op_cert_counter: 16