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 8618521 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 89335682 epoch_slot_no: 170882 block_no: 8618344 slot_leader_id: 5048909 size: 19246 time: 2023-04-07 21:12:53 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1457962d89c5f813f2a3724ec0d2972909aef98f607cf5c7f7c56cd8ff3ccef1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hurwaadlhm7jaaerv8z3pj6d30x4w0pasrvh83nz2rflja8w5ftqnuycng op_cert: \xe7a1ab0c82463189bc92bb8c23fe11d9a4896c1272c738250a4c3cbec682d498 op_cert_counter: 9