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 8612708 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 89215888 epoch_slot_no: 51088 block_no: 8612531 slot_leader_id: 5871596 size: 9640 time: 2023-04-06 11:56:19 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x54d80e17ab45f6d480b773fd9a4c75943faf6c60fcd8e72a014ac96b72b8deaeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1meqa9qlyd2ngxcasp20x8f9h5kfuk8ntutdqxfme24xd6sue52gq4k6749 op_cert: \x226815e08d94781c387664d3722b5d837dc0038b04b27bd43fcc06dec22ca140 op_cert_counter: 14