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 8617834 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 89322054 epoch_slot_no: 157254 block_no: 8617657 slot_leader_id: 4580757 size: 1271 time: 2023-04-07 17:25:45 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb96a8e5d58604c275525b70e4a646c1234e9b3cf34eaa03cdcfff5a5c28c596cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1st3ysz45pektlvnsxj3s8454x5m8l2jqxjslkcqjk0zuu66l3qfql2m7rv op_cert: \xf79d195113c5e9a2b522907b84cbbb68ca5610fc843b3df912c4e1950941cf09 op_cert_counter: 12