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 8618114 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 89327609 epoch_slot_no: 162809 block_no: 8617937 slot_leader_id: 4621417 size: 34809 time: 2023-04-07 18:58:20 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x522f48653a367b968684303ad2809b779c0955b5e80a24c9c46f0aaa10ab8d6eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vcta5kjly6wwh8t45zwcd2y5qqrlsw8efllgfcapqzckwqquzgxs2tfh8q op_cert: \x2bc0712c01ed015482e4bbbf80aa48fa4e74cbddc2ad5fe892dc07f7a3a7e1d6 op_cert_counter: 13