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 8617658 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 24 slot_no: 89318496 epoch_slot_no: 153696 block_no: 8617481 slot_leader_id: 4558711 size: 85854 time: 2023-04-07 16:26:27 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaf753dbd04e02f21242c9efcf4d7b60b48ed2cf4ead5351dcfdcd7bda3bb4b5fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xnpprrn77xe9as4a7cv5dehdr5ju6h06w87nn4rnfr2kr2dw3jyqpcy2r6 op_cert: \xdce5a78ac7f1ecd17264747228adb0f633720ca44a0b4691856f36bac5a932a7 op_cert_counter: 12