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 8618568 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 89336596 epoch_slot_no: 171796 block_no: 8618391 slot_leader_id: 6284437 size: 22959 time: 2023-04-07 21:28:07 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x017b5ae66e5ec07319ce581080606534953a9671fea7eab084a3bfca5d1127d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1l9upellrprstwce0vwq98sm037nwf95zc9hep9tw0uqqq4xndpfsvp4e90 op_cert: \x171504d6d9c171212b0a9858fc0fa0906506b58e3411561a747b5791170b54d1 op_cert_counter: 7