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 8617917 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 89323401 epoch_slot_no: 158601 block_no: 8617740 slot_leader_id: 7047164 size: 42389 time: 2023-04-07 17:48:12 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x88c878d260ba9665c27de7c6901589f1ceb5d10c39d8eebb7a6e6e0b2cdcf669Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u6qem3tc44lmpc6pqj0yp3ujtzje864cp39enr4p90kur0ql2zjqf6wgqc op_cert: \xa456b11c9d5bb5837db99dafa4f4efc57e7723439039d6da898bf8f5979bce49 op_cert_counter: 1659973535