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 8609729 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 89153301 epoch_slot_no: 420501 block_no: 8609552 slot_leader_id: 4555974 size: 48293 time: 2023-04-05 18:33:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3971fa4a2e4c07eb7b289295a7ce174392a379c8a2fbd7fcc624a0c6224e80c1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h6dppjvlwnetf76p4n09x5rc5cfh4atyyrxfhdy0azz4rcv4p2xqfuugd3 op_cert: \x1cd5455acecbcc955fd6d486e8d9919060a116808d404967d5af2e33020e0d37 op_cert_counter: 14