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 8618021 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 43 slot_no: 89325678 epoch_slot_no: 160878 block_no: 8617844 slot_leader_id: 4621417 size: 55787 time: 2023-04-07 18:26:09 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf198e9523f403b08600ebeb80ff0c1584dd07ee137eb2057881e311e54c5eec8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vcta5kjly6wwh8t45zwcd2y5qqrlsw8efllgfcapqzckwqquzgxs2tfh8q op_cert: \x2bc0712c01ed015482e4bbbf80aa48fa4e74cbddc2ad5fe892dc07f7a3a7e1d6 op_cert_counter: 13