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 8609612 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 89150637 epoch_slot_no: 417837 block_no: 8609435 slot_leader_id: 5495880 size: 17715 time: 2023-04-05 17:48:48 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6e4e2b6d80a1a0be4f8c097bb5fd5e1fba7b0b409946cf044ea125eb9141a1feBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hzlkmk042kzd0zrdkthh2h3fmepesecz5cxq4k352fusuz4lhvzsxu87s3 op_cert: \x1f79d210c2c53968b30e01f0c9375aff4a6ef3d9bd1198d3e7a1c64eba6c561b op_cert_counter: 15