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 8609866 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 89156069 epoch_slot_no: 423269 block_no: 8609689 slot_leader_id: 6390158 size: 19584 time: 2023-04-05 19:19:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xef56667ab7473eabb242616bf8ab1ec6ba341184129a3e541c42c1fb588ad6e6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jyapxqrqfccqchjd6x5a049j6u53dqv5l264u98hqqxwdgn9ngjqhj2276 op_cert: \x9c2ee5f29819e48c06912a3f14943c2b7727711f2b2ab87241eb9d77262bd041 op_cert_counter: 11