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 8612388 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 38 slot_no: 89209303 epoch_slot_no: 44503 block_no: 8612211 slot_leader_id: 4555892 size: 86707 time: 2023-04-06 10:06:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x62c68e9ae1037efd0848b401a460936a72bd6668a613898c56a0035d07a8baaaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pgcwdc0qvw7ejcrlqhxltpv5qrk4s8l8n3f64z8kjkaep6pqyljsxe7272 op_cert: \x6bc039fe96e1b05ce862d6cb09f29e6b45d050eca1c5c72fdbd7e5193b5eff6e op_cert_counter: 16