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 8616538 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 89296150 epoch_slot_no: 131350 block_no: 8616361 slot_leader_id: 7148917 size: 15348 time: 2023-04-07 10:14:01 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x397ae3f789bd7e10b5f5039c40e9d9467ff96dc32f6c5bf0a4cf722585cd1350Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hezyed2tv7cyfwy8jmk7xqtkju2z4v2w6eec5zvympjg5ctgawcs3mllj8 op_cert: \xc93e4c08513f859dc204425e4fd66e005fb26fc5f3854dc287fc06d1f3737a70 op_cert_counter: 5