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 8618672 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 89338590 epoch_slot_no: 173790 block_no: 8618495 slot_leader_id: 5152047 size: 22699 time: 2023-04-07 22:01:21 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x198b1b69ba5c738a3250b0b3653a5dc9b53ce95a5e5249cab9a86ac41ef7a056Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v9u4t3t7h6vxxa3qkf5vgcz52ts2gqmdp0fvds0uhtknq4390x2qp6aas9 op_cert: \xdc7608b79ea5b21ad058fd4397a74bc3fa465aa86e16005d7e1b4af405d8e134 op_cert_counter: 13