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 8618657 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 89338301 epoch_slot_no: 173501 block_no: 8618480 slot_leader_id: 4565154 size: 4332 time: 2023-04-07 21:56:32 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x90f1a2ab9a23e359b5f58bf8127a48c40a464bcd3e7a06ead97974379fd5a1aaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lucty2un9cjm6f2fkjrpwy2fz6hnv53s94ktlzhcwfldv9ucp7rq7xzdhd op_cert: \x560539971d70058856da883c3a5da2f0a8ca4233686ce078291d217150a3e172 op_cert_counter: 10