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 8608697 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 89132542 epoch_slot_no: 399742 block_no: 8608520 slot_leader_id: 7685981 size: 2873 time: 2023-04-05 12:47:13 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc7471c87ac3564c1eb6c8f9818584470af149e98c4417b5126ee07f331d11143Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12k09rgxmqslmneexx8mgakwumk4gfe3dkn8ntta25zjhz0a4zmaq07th89 op_cert: \x2e7986f4fb6f15a73030261990e716275340608206f7d33399144e8aa81fa662 op_cert_counter: 13