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 8610117 Details
Epoch: 403 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 89161445 epoch_slot_no: 428645 block_no: 8609940 slot_leader_id: 7897322 size: 36195 time: 2023-04-05 20:48:56 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7074be10bacf10d6252fbc9d5c4dc9d60f64a84144d7434e31d8b07775511ecbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1kwuaxe3d34my778e4fwyewhtuj7s3rnenvyny4pa0qjdf382tycq8dqdm8 op_cert: \x482f01c74649b607a78d03cebb04397b4bb94f2d231434f7f74eb4f128dfe3ab op_cert_counter: 2