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 8616072 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 89286763 epoch_slot_no: 121963 block_no: 8615895 slot_leader_id: 4556473 size: 23103 time: 2023-04-07 07:37:34 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x37460a20670dd40323cf4aa1e6b3476ccfa196a5dcc584b0b0d75e189e5c15cfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wqptsu5qtu77rtvghckm2knuykntte2egfaqa4duc328p4q6rjls569vn3 op_cert: \x1cfbcb7b1215bd8f7b2cb1cf07c74064f05d3d2ac8f6c0168e57e3cedff72f37 op_cert_counter: 14