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 8596539 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 88882071 epoch_slot_no: 149271 block_no: 8596362 slot_leader_id: 5412102 size: 50699 time: 2023-04-02 15:12:42 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbd8d563c7a1f9b80dc0c7901f137c10f615d7bf88ace5e6a0d6ba73eeb7e07d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tpln5vj8nlgrlxac5t0umc546mqdusvq9y2ldr6k3fjrsjscqhaqtzvcth op_cert: \xbddff88c10249c246a48d0fb3118ff781a3fffdde4b76ecc0e74bcf5258b761c op_cert_counter: 9