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 8612217 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 89205410 epoch_slot_no: 40610 block_no: 8612040 slot_leader_id: 5680800 size: 42143 time: 2023-04-06 09:01:41 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x42f896744348818027c4280ca48caf7a7d10e37a0c4899a0302c12176e5dec42Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18fwzp8r325gtweujfjfak6tejjsst8yqg3txwlq39sal0adjtggsj3sqq7 op_cert: \xbb6a18271f74f96dbb5dfee00e9d772ecbd32ac371f28e1e9b125d9f8a144e13 op_cert_counter: 10