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 8617466 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 89314446 epoch_slot_no: 149646 block_no: 8617289 slot_leader_id: 5695286 size: 16598 time: 2023-04-07 15:18:57 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x709d4501046dc21dfd8799c8c59da67e3f7d1bfef0efda3f0459b8b5c95c6b58Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pntg260kerfja6eve3n20muf95pxhj92k7d54x2y004qjucyfx5sldnal6 op_cert: \xe1b73337d54e1159284d2082510b5cd81e8459ab46b4986b98c397393b76e9d8 op_cert_counter: 15