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 8618731 Details
Epoch: 404 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 89339737 epoch_slot_no: 174937 block_no: 8618554 slot_leader_id: 7046729 size: 21839 time: 2023-04-07 22:20:28 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf557d7a446cea44d0fd4735ad0e2032bfd4443259d6a624e29bad2c70014369aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ffmgargyrpt76axwe2epzk8luerdcwv6tlg6mxs7a7908ypahkvqwf2t89 op_cert: \x97e6149a74631f0c9df8083002a53d8da0bc586e073425c2fc4bb939a6b570ff op_cert_counter: 1660589470