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 8603542 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 89027321 epoch_slot_no: 294521 block_no: 8603365 slot_leader_id: 5492880 size: 6257 time: 2023-04-04 07:33:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x01bea9637e1444fe726ace5431a07afdc038916b3e1a52b944df17ad2998754bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fr7hqvevhatry93cjyhwn2u8wg8e4my3tcmj6z9e60sszxxk2l8st646k2 op_cert: \xdbcb40778eb1451213a0b5f7f4d02472fd36f6622260fad5332fe585bc0fe140 op_cert_counter: 11