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 8612386 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 89209226 epoch_slot_no: 44426 block_no: 8612209 slot_leader_id: 4556762 size: 39562 time: 2023-04-06 10:05:17 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa8293fe804ae24e5c386d06e7bcce972fc2b97c4d6ee418bc64839ffc661afb4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e6htw3vtc0mk0kcynlv783jahpwjgvvhl7hgwy3nje79n0k5sqzscy5045 op_cert: \x96c3c87ea6e215feb54b7ac006666050addfefdc852835de536893c039305de5 op_cert_counter: 16