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 8600738 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 88970221 epoch_slot_no: 237421 block_no: 8600561 slot_leader_id: 4982193 size: 20430 time: 2023-04-03 15:41:52 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5570acddb5ffbdb5ee84e5b7771d01c9f94410c97bbaacfcabf051eb0fc5f788Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mnjzvlsemnhnufd47g49cwsq7cgy8z657p0wre3gm6hl4gz6zcasw457zz op_cert: \x78bd24393ac5417b9d30e19da3eee5891c3186ed28e2315fb28f8e137b7476c0 op_cert_counter: 14