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 8616946 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 89304304 epoch_slot_no: 139504 block_no: 8616769 slot_leader_id: 7903459 size: 32652 time: 2023-04-07 12:29:55 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x13160418b91e1c0ce9ed76861ecf7dca1beff12215b839ab78b2a9436b5e0d2eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z7jkgvsrrxj34y6w87qgqnuy5r2yennekn5pqzza0k7g2ux6mj3s3c5th5 op_cert: \xabd4a79e884f06528775a4cda61bc162743a254485a6466741abcad572d1f805 op_cert_counter: 3