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 8616851 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 89302164 epoch_slot_no: 137364 block_no: 8616674 slot_leader_id: 8526618 size: 47639 time: 2023-04-07 11:54:15 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4b442d23cc6dfc934d997ecb936595c4244ef9f21cc80d8c90701271afe5eb60Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xkknefdcqjrgxjpltns9372x3wafyu4dqc6nkz50f7hyxe4ny9hsfhptzl op_cert: \x446c18848cead2a3c9e7ff1551f5619352258ba158829877e6cbc8dd56a9c057 op_cert_counter: 1